Medical Stores for Cruising

[Quincofish]

A service I have used in Melbourne Australia, but I believe is international, is a company called "PharmaSea International". Their web address is as follows http://www.pharmasea.org/

They recomended what to take, supplied the stores and documentation required to be kept on board and were generally very helpful. The advantage of using this type of service is that the stores (drugs etc) are issued against your vessell, not your name. Therefore, as the "master" of your vessell you are able to dispense these drugs to crew on board legally, provided you fill in the provided medical log book. Another good thing about this service is the labeling of the stores in plain language with descriptions of what the medication can be used for. A service I have used and I highly recomend it.

[GordMay]

Interesting site (previous link) !
We carried an excellent but expensive ($400 USD) "Coastal Cruising Pak" (First Aid Kit) from

www.firstaidpak.com

as well as prescription drugs from our family Doctor.
The drugs were customised to our needs;( ie: I had suffered from inner ear infections), plus imodium, streptomycin, codein, and 2 anti-malarials...
Never used the kit (9 years) so I suppose it turned out to be merely "insurance".

By the way - in the Bahamas, you can get it, if you can say it. No prescriptions required.
Regards,
Gord

[Brent Swain]

I just read about a discovery inMmajuro of a cure for ciguatera. They injected Mannitol , a reverse sugar molecule into a ciguatera victim and all symptoms dissapeared almost immediately. Mannitol is a cheap readily available duretic which has been injected into patients for years.It would be easy to carry aboard.
Brent

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Louis Riel

I just read about a discovery inMmajuro of a cure for ciguatera...
Brent

Where did you read about this new miracle cure for ciguatera poisoning (CP)?

Mannitol (Osmitrol, Resectisol) is an osmotic diuretic, that has become mainstay of acute ciguatera poisoning treatment in recent years. Mechanism of action unknown, but has been reported to dramatically diminish or prevent neurological symptoms associated with ciguatera poisoning. Most effective when given early in course of treatment, but somewhat effective even after several days of symptoms. Neurologic symptoms often decrease within minutes of treatment and may resolve completely within 2 days.


At least one recent controlled study found no difference between mannitol and normal saline, in the treatment of ciguatera poisoning*.

* Ciguatera fish poisoning
A double-blind randomized trial of mannitol therapy
By Hans Schnorf, MD, M. Taurarii, MD and T. Cundy, MD

“…Mannitol was not superior to normal saline in relieving symptoms and signs of CP at 24 hours in this study population but had more side effects. These results do not support single-dose mannitol as standard treatment for CP …”
Goto: Ciguatera fish poisoning: A double-blind randomized trial of mannitol therapy -- Schnorf et al. 58 (6): 873 -- Neurology

On the other hand ...
Successful Treatment of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning With Intravenous Mannitol
Neal A. Palafox, MD; Luis G. Jain, MD; Alexander Z. Pinano, MD;
Tod M. Gulick, MD; Robert K. Williams, MD; Irwin J. Schatz, MD

“ Twenty-four patients with acute ciguatera fish poisoning were treated with intravenous mannitol, and each patient's condition improved dramatically…
… We recognize that our assessment of mannitol in ciguatera fish poisoning is observational and empiric. It has not been scientifically controlled by a randomized prospective study. Thus, there is a need for considerable caution in recommending any new therapy for this distressingly common problem. A controlled assessment of intravenous mannitol with precisely defined end points clearly is necessary. Until such a study is available, however; we believe that mannitol should be considered for initial use in patients with significant clinical signs or symptoms of ciguatera fish poisoning …”

[size=3]See Also:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ight=ciguatera
And
Benefits of eating fish …
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f91/benefits-of-eating-fish-831.html?highlight=ciguatera

STANDARD TREATMENT ~ Mannitol Administration
Route: IV
Dosage: 1 gm/kg Body Weight
Mannitol Injection, USP, 25%
12.5 grams/50 cc vial
Standard 75 kg Man = 75 gr = 6 * 12.5 mg vial = 6 * 50 cc = 200 cc
Additive: 700 cc D5W or .9 NaCl
Infusion Rate: 250 - 350 cc/hr
Total Infusion Time: 3-4 hrs

[DaveSherman]

Gord,

Although I live in California, I intend to buy a boat on the East Coast and then sail south through the Bahamas, down the island chain and finallyout the canal and west.

So, I intend to take your advice to buy the medicine that I might need on the voyage in the Bahamas. Thanks so much,

Dave Sherman

Originally Posted by GordMay

Interesting site (previous link) !
We carried an excellent but expensive ($400 USD) "Coastal Cruising Pak" (First Aid Kit) from

www.firstaidpak.com

as well as prescription drugs from our family Doctor.
The drugs were customised to our needs;( ie: I had suffered from inner ear infections), plus imodium, streptomycin, codein, and 2 anti-malarials...
Never used the kit (9 years) so I suppose it turned out to be merely "insurance".

By the way - in the Bahamas, you can get it, if you can say it. No prescriptions required.
Regards,
Gord

[Brent Swain]

Offshore cruising vessels have , under international law ,the right to carry prescription drugs as part of the ships medical supplies. When pharmacists in the South Pacific asked for my prescription ,I said "I'm on an offshore yacht," and they gave me whatever I needed, no questions asked.
Carry lots of Bandaids in the atolls , The flies love to land on nicks and scrapes in great huddles and then they always get infected. Need bandaids to keep the flies off. 70% rubbing alcohol is useful for the same reason. Take lots, for disinfecting scrapes and cuts.