Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Shipboard Medical, Telemedicine and Seafarer Health glossary (page 2)

The shipboard-medical vocabulary: the ABCDE primary survey, abandonment financial security for medical care, the International Medical Guide categories of ship medicine chests, telemedicine support, and the first-aid and emergency-care terms. Grounds each term in the MLC medical-care requirement or the shipboard clinical procedure it belongs to.

358 defined terms.

Showing 108 on this page (page 2 of 2).

P

Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Certificate: Annual ship medical chest inspection document.
Pharyngeal airway: Oropharyngeal (Guedel) airway adjunct stocked in ship chest.
Plaster of Paris bandage: Splinting material on Category A ships.
Pneumothorax management: Tension pneumothorax warrants advanced intervention; TMAS consult mandatory.
Pocket mask (CPR): One-way valve barrier device for rescue breathing.
Port Health Authority: Statutory body at port responsible for IHR enforcement and receiving the MDH.
Port medical officer: Local physician at port-of-call available for crew consultation under MLC Regulation 4.1.
Portable oxygen pack: First-aid satellite kit containing small oxygen cylinder, mask, and BVM.
Pralidoxime (2-PAM): Cholinesterase reactivator used with atropine in organophosphate poisoning.
Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME): Owner-mandated medical evaluation beyond statutory STCW examination.
Pregnancy test (urine hCG): Rapid test stocked particularly on passenger ships.
Prochlorperazine: Antiemetic and anti-vertigo medication.
Prophylactic antibiotic: Single-dose antibiotic for specific exposures (e.g., post-rape kit, animal bite).
Pulse oximeter: Battery-operated SpO2 measurement device.

Q

Quantification Addendum (IMGS): WHO 2010 publication specifying medicine and equipment quantities per ship category.
Quarantine flag (Q): International Code of Signals yellow flag indicating vessel requesting free pratique.
Quarantine procedures: IHR 2005 measures applied at port of entry for suspected communicable disease.

R

Radio Medical Danmark (Esbjerg): Danish TMAS service for ships under Danish flag and others.
Radio Medical Sankt-Petersburg: Russian TMAS service for Russian-flag ships.
Radio Medical UK: UK TMAS service formerly operated through NHS Cornwall, now part of integrated maritime medical service.
Recompression chamber: Pressurized vessel used for decompression illness; rare onboard but standard on dive-support vessels.
Recovery position: Lateral semi-prone position for unresponsive breathing casualty.
Refresher training (STCW VI/4): 5-yearly retraining for medical first aid and medical care competencies.
Repatriation on medical grounds: Owner obligation under MLC Regulation 4.2 to repatriate sick or injured seafarer.
Resuscitation Council guidelines: Reference protocols used in shipboard CPR training.

S

Safe Manning Document: Required under SOLAS V/14.
Sailors' Society: International seafarers' welfare society, founded 1818.
Salbutamol MDI: Short-acting beta-2 agonist metered-dose inhaler in IMGS Annex IV.
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): Pandemic coronavirus 2020-2023 with major impact on seafarer movement and welfare.
Scoop stretcher: Two-piece aluminum stretcher used for spinal-precaution lift.
SeafarerHelp: ISWAN's 24/7 multilingual telephone, email, and chat helpline (+44 20 7323 2737).
Seafarers Hospital Society (SHS): UK charity providing financial and health support to seafarers.
Seasickness medication: Cinnarizine, cyclizine, scopolamine, or meclizine in IMGS Annex IV.
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA): Compressed-air breathing set used in rescue from toxic atmospheres.
Sepsis recognition: Quick SOFA criteria taught to STCW VI/4-2 officers.
Sharps container: Yellow puncture-resistant container for needle and sharps disposal.
Ship doctor: Licensed physician serving aboard cruise or larger passenger ships.
Ship sanitation control certificate (SSCC): IHR 2005 certificate issued when sanitation measures were required.
Ship sanitation control exemption certificate (SSCEC): IHR 2005 certificate issued when no measures were required.
Skuld P&I: P&I club operating PEME scheme for Scandinavian and international owners.
SOLAS Chapter IV: Radiocommunications, including GMDSS requirements.
SOLAS Chapter VII: Carriage of dangerous goods.
SOLAS V/14: Convention regulation governing helicopter facilities on ships.
SOS International Copenhagen: Danish 24/7 assistance company providing maritime medical advice.
Sphygmomanometer: Blood pressure cuff and gauge in IMGS Annex V.
Splint set: Padded malleable, vacuum, and air splints stocked per category.
Standard P&I: Standard Club; P&I club with PEME scheme; merged with North in NorthStandard.
STCW Code Table A-VI/4-1: Specification of minimum standard of competence in medical first aid.
STCW Code Table A-VI/4-2: Specification of minimum standard of competence in medical care.
STCW Regulation I/9: Medical standards including issue of seafarer medical certificate.
STCW Regulation VI/1: Mandatory minimum familiarization and basic safety training including elementary first aid.
STCW Regulation VI/4: Mandatory minimum requirements relating to medical first aid and medical care.
Steamship Mutual: P&I club operating PEME scheme through approved clinics worldwide.
Stella Maris: Apostleship of the Sea Catholic seafarers' welfare network.
Stethoscope: Auscultation device in IMGS Annex V.
Stokes basket: Wire-mesh stretcher with floats for vertical and waterborne casualty lift.
Stretcher (Neil Robertson): Wraparound canvas stretcher used in vertical lifts on tankers and engine rooms.
Stretcher (Paraguard): Folding spinal stretcher for confined-space extraction.
Suction unit (manual and electric): Airway suction equipment in IMGS Annex V.
Sudden cardiac arrest protocol: BLS plus AED algorithm taught in STCW VI/1 and VI/4.
Suicide prevention at sea: Multi-agency programs by ISWAN, MHSS, and Sailors' Society addressing crew mental health.
Suture set (basic): Disposable sterile suturing kit for wound closure under TMAS guidance.
Sutures: Range of sutures (3-0 to 5-0) on absorbable and non-absorbable carriers per IMGS Annex V.

T

Tampa General Hospital: US TMAS provider working with the US Coast Guard for merchant mariner advice.
Telemedical Assistance Service (TMAS): National service providing free 24/7 medical advice to ships at sea per IMO Resolution A.1108(29).
Tenecteplase: Fibrinolytic; rare on cargo ships, occasionally on offshore-support vessels with paramedic.
Tetanus immunoglobulin: Passive immunization for inadequately vaccinated patients with contaminated wounds.
Tetanus vaccine (Td): Booster recommended every 10 years for seafarers.
Thermometer (digital): Oral or tympanic electronic thermometer replacing mercury devices.
Tick-borne encephalitis vaccine: Recommended for crews working in Northern European and Russian forested coasts.
TMAS providers (recognized): CIRM (Italy), Radio Medical UK, Maritime Medical Centre Aberdeen, MedAire MedLink (USA), Tampa General Hospital (USA), SOS International (Denmark), Radio Medical Danmark (Esbjerg), Falck Healthcare…
Topical anesthetic eye drops: Tetracaine or proxymetacaine for foreign-body removal.
Tourniquet (CAT): Combat Application Tourniquet for severe extremity hemorrhage.
Tranexamic acid: Antifibrinolytic for major hemorrhage where stocked.
Trauma kit: Bandages, dressings, splints, tourniquet, and analgesia bundled for rapid scene response.
Triage tags: Color-coded tags for mass-casualty triage on passenger ships.
Tympanic thermometer: Infrared ear thermometer in IMGS Annex V.
Typhoid vaccine (Vi polysaccharide): Recommended for crews calling at endemic ports.

U

UK MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency): UK flag-state authority responsible for ENG 1 standards and ship medical chest regulations.
UK P&I: P&I club operating PEME scheme worldwide.
Universal precautions: Standard infection control practices including gloves, eye protection, and hand hygiene.
Urinalysis dipstick: Multi-parameter urine test strip in IMGS Annex V.
US Coast Guard Form CG-719K: Medical Certificate for merchant mariners issued through the National Maritime Center.
USPHS Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP): US Public Health Service inspections of cruise ships calling at US ports.

V

Vaccination record: Yellow Card (ICVP) plus owner-held immunization log.
Vacuum mattress: Bead-filled body immobilizer for spinal injury transport.
Varicella vaccine: Chickenpox vaccine in some pre-employment schedules.
Vasopressor: Injectable vasoconstrictor (e.g., adrenaline) for shock; advanced use only.
Ventolin: Trade name for salbutamol inhaler.
Vertigo: Common shipboard complaint; managed with prochlorperazine or cinnarizine.
Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP): CDC-administered cruise-ship public-health inspection program.
VHF medical relay: Coast radio station relays medical traffic to TMAS where Inmarsat unavailable.
Vidsel TMAS Sweden: Swedish telemedical advisory service for ships.
Visual acuity test: Snellen chart and color vision testing at PEME.

W

Water-Jel dressing: Hydrogel burn dressing carried for thermal injuries.
West of England P&I: International Group P&I club founded 1870.
WHO Collaborating Centre on Maritime Health: Designated academic centres supporting WHO maritime health programs (Gdynia, Hamburg).
WHO IMGS: World Health Organization International Medical Guide for Ships.
WHO Yellow Card: Common name for the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP).
Working language (SOLAS V/14): Ship's working language must permit effective communication including in medical emergencies.
Wound closure strips (Steri-Strip): Adhesive skin-closure strips for minor lacerations.
Wound irrigation: Sterile saline lavage as primary wound cleansing under IMGS protocol.

X

X-ray facility: Not standard aboard cargo ships; available on larger cruise ships' infirmaries.

Y

Yellow Card: Common name for the WHO ICVP vaccination certificate.
Yellow fever vaccine: Live attenuated vaccine; certificate valid for life per 2016 WHO update.
Yellow Q flag: International Code of Signals flag indicating vessel requests free pratique.

Z

Zika virus: Mosquito-borne illness with travel-health implications for crews and pregnant partners ashore.
Zoonotic disease: Animal-source infection (e.g., rabies, brucellosis) relevant for livestock carriers.