Maritime Medicine Playbook
Full Operational Edition
The comprehensive 1,000+ page operational reference built for clinicians who work alone at sea. Quick cards, dashboards, emergency pathways, documentation templates and protocol frameworks covering every major clinical scenario from chest pain to medevac decision-making.
Instant download • Lifetime updates • 30-day refund • Secure checkout
"I wish I had this before my first contract. It covers things no medical school teaches you about working in a ship's medical centre."-- Ship Doctor, Cruise Line, Mediterranean
"The oxygen burn-rate section alone is worth the price. I used it to audit our cylinder inventory before a transatlantic crossing."-- Senior Nurse, Expedition Vessel, Arctic
"Finally a resource that speaks to maritime constraints instead of pretending you have an ED down the hall."-- Offshore Medic, FPSO, West Africa
What's Inside: Full Table of Contents
The Maritime Medicine Playbook is organized into operational modules, each designed to function independently so you can jump directly to the section you need in an emergency.
- 01 Maritime Clinical Environment
- 02 Osolika Deterioration Loop
- 03 Emergency Medicine at Sea — Chest Pain
- 04 Emergency Medicine at Sea — Stroke
- 05 Emergency Medicine at Sea — Shock
- 06 Emergency Medicine at Sea — Seizures
- 07 Emergency Medicine at Sea — Cardiac Arrest
- 08 Trauma and Surgical Emergencies
- 09 Oxygen Planning and Burn-Rate Calculations
- 10 Prolonged Stabilization & 72-Hour Maritime ICU Doctrine
- 11 Paediatric and Obstetric Emergencies
- 12 Mental Health and Behavioural Emergencies
- 13 Public Health and Outbreak Management
- 14 Expedition Polar and Tropical Medicine
- 15 Medevac Decision-Making
- 16 SBAR-M Bridge Communication
- 17 Medicolegal Documentation
- 18 Pharmacy and Drug Reference
- 19 Command Communication and Risk Translation
Who This Playbook Is For
This playbook was written for clinicians who treat patients in environments where referral is not an option and resources are limited by what you carry.
The Problem This Playbook Solves
Hospital-based training prepares you for environments where backup is seconds away. At sea, backup can be hours or days away. You work alone. You manage emergencies without specialist consultation. You make disposition decisions without imaging, without labs, and sometimes without a stable communication link.
Standard medical references do not account for maritime-specific constraints: limited oxygen supplies, no blood bank, language barriers with crew, command authority structures, medicolegal exposure across jurisdictions, and the hard reality that your medevac window may be 36 hours.
The Maritime Medicine Playbook bridges this gap. Every protocol, pathway and decision tool in this book is adapted for the constraints you actually face aboard a vessel.
What You Get
- 1,000+ pages of operational maritime medicine content
- 19 structured clinical modules covering every major emergency category
- Quick cards for rapid clinical decision-making during emergencies
- Oxygen burn-rate calculation worksheets and planning templates
- 72-hour maritime ICU stabilization doctrine for prolonged patient holds
- SBAR-M bridge communication scripts and command translation templates
- Medevac decision-making frameworks with weather and logistics considerations
- Outbreak management protocols adapted for closed ship populations
- Medicolegal documentation templates for multinational crew environments
- Pharmacy reference with drug dosing adjusted for limited formulary
- Expedition-specific sections covering polar, tropical and altitude medicine
- Paediatric and obstetric emergency pathways for cruise/passenger vessels
- Mental health and behavioural emergency de-escalation frameworks
- Risk translation scripts for communicating clinical urgency to non-medical command
- Downloadable PDF format — works offline on any device, tablet, or e-reader
How to Use This Playbook Onboard
This is not a textbook to read cover-to-cover. It is an operational reference designed to be used in real time. Here is how to integrate it into your shipboard workflow.
- Familiarization Scan. During your first week onboard, read the Maritime Clinical Environment chapter to understand how the playbook is structured. Identify which sections are most relevant to your vessel type (cruise, expedition, cargo, offshore).
- Bookmark Emergency Sections. Flag the emergency pathways for chest pain, stroke, shock, seizures and cardiac arrest. Save them to your tablet or print the quick cards for your medical centre wall. These are the pages you will reach for under pressure.
- Conduct Your Oxygen Audit. Use the oxygen burn-rate worksheets to audit your onboard cylinder inventory. Calculate how long your supply will last at various flow rates. This is one of the most critical resource-planning exercises you can do before an emergency occurs.
- Set Up Bridge Communication. Review the SBAR-M bridge communication scripts. Adapt the command translation templates to your vessel's officer hierarchy. Practice delivering a capability gap speech to command staff so that when an emergency requires diversion or medevac, you can communicate clinical urgency in operational language.
- Prepare Documentation Templates. Load the medicolegal documentation templates onto your workstation. Pre-fill vessel-specific details (ship name, IMO number, company protocols). In a crisis, having documentation infrastructure ready means one less cognitive task competing for your attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What format is the Playbook delivered in?
The Maritime Medicine Playbook is delivered as a downloadable PDF via Gumroad. You receive instant access after purchase. The PDF works on any device including laptops, tablets, phones and e-readers. It is designed to function fully offline, which is essential for use at sea where internet connectivity is unreliable.
Is this a textbook or a clinical reference?
It is an operational clinical reference, not a traditional textbook. The content is structured for rapid access during emergencies. Each module includes quick cards, decision pathways and checklists rather than long prose explanations. You can read it for education, but it is built to be used in real time under pressure.
Is the content relevant to my vessel type?
Yes. The Playbook covers protocols relevant to cruise ships, expedition vessels, cargo ships, tankers, offshore platforms and remote-care settings. The Maritime Clinical Environment chapter helps you identify which sections are most relevant to your specific posting. Some sections (e.g., paediatric emergencies) are more relevant to passenger vessels, while others (e.g., trauma) apply universally.
I'm a nurse, not a doctor. Is this still useful?
Absolutely. Many shipboard nurses work as the primary or sole clinician during certain watch periods. The Playbook is written for all clinicians who manage patients independently at sea, regardless of title. The emergency pathways, oxygen planning tools and communication templates are just as essential for nursing staff as for doctors.
How often is the Playbook updated?
The Playbook is a living document. When you purchase through Gumroad, you receive all future updates at no additional cost. Major updates are announced via email to existing purchasers.
Can I print it for my medical centre?
Yes. The licence permits you to print copies for your personal clinical use onboard. Many clinicians print the emergency quick cards and oxygen planning worksheets for wall mounting in their medical centre. Redistribution or resale is not permitted.
What if I want both the Playbook and the Interview Guide?
Consider the Complete Ship Doctor Toolkit, which bundles both products with all future updates included. You get the full Playbook, the Interview Command Guide, and priority access to new resources for $48.
Is this suitable for non-clinicians?
The Ship Doctor is designed for qualified clinicians and healthcare professionals working or preparing to work in maritime, offshore, expedition, or remote-care environments. It is not intended for layperson self-diagnosis or emergency treatment by non-clinicians.
If the Maritime Medicine Playbook does not meet your expectations, contact us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. No questions asked. Your purchase is processed securely through Gumroad, and you receive instant access to the full PDF immediately after payment.
The Maritime Medicine Playbook is an educational and operational reference tool. It is not a substitute for clinical judgement, employer-specific protocols, telemedical advice, emergency services, specialist consultation, local regulations, or vessel/company procedures. Always follow your employer's standing medical orders and applicable maritime regulations. The author and publisher accept no liability for clinical decisions made using this resource.
Ready to Practise Medicine at Sea with Confidence?
1,000+ pages of operational maritime medicine. Instant download. Offline-ready. Updated for free.
Buy the Playbook — $29Instant download • Lifetime updates • 30-day refund • Secure checkout
Or get the Complete Toolkit for $48 — complete access + future updates