Cruise line medical teams keep it 'ship' shape on the high seas

Florida remains the epicenter of cruising in the United States. In 2007, Port Everglades alone experienced a 12.6 percent increase in passenger growth. This season, five of the industry's eight new cruise ships will debut in the Fort Lauderdale port. By 2010, industry experts project Port Everglades will be the busiest port in the world. When considering a cruise vacation, Florida residents should know that cruise ship medical teams play an integral role in ensuring them a healthy voyage.

In the past 20 years, advances in medical technology and Internet access have greatly enhanced the capability of shipboard physicians to care for guests. Cruise ship medical teams are highly proficient in treating a host of general medical and surgical conditions. They are most adept at making critical decisions in a moments notice, often without detailed knowledge of the patient's medical history.

A cruise ship's medical facility operates like a walk-in clinic or ambulatory care center. The ship's infirmary stocks a formulary with a wide range of medications and supplies. Shipboard medical equipment typically includes a cardiac monitor/defibrillator, EKG machine, blood testing machine, portable oxygen and an X-ray unit.....
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