Already trained in first aid as part of his professional career, Éric completed the FMO+ offshore medical training course offered by Medi-Distance Santé en mer. The program covers treating injuries, bleeding and fractures, performing sutures and administering specific medications, with the option of seeking remote medical advice from the Maritime Medical Consultation Center (CCMM) in Toulouse or Vincent, a doctor and sailor with Medi-Distance.
On board, PharmaBag medical kits contain medications, dressings, suturing equipment, epinephrine auto-injectors, a blood pressure monitor and a pulse oximeter. Everything is carefully organized, with color-coded compartments and a medical observation form for remote consultations. Éric even tested a surgical stapler on himself during his training! "At least it helped take some of the fear out of it," he jokes.
The essential thing, of course, is to have the means to deal with a medical emergency while doing everything possible to avoid ever having to use them. According to Éric, this kind of preparation also goes a long way toward reducing the mental burden of a long ocean passage.
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