Intro to Medical
Firstly, do no harm
The main purpose of this guide is to prevent death. "Death" here specifically refers to brain death, in which your patient has a complete, permanent loss of brain function. The brain is an organ located in the head of most species (hopefully including you, reader) and takes damage from either physical trauma or a lack of support.
More commonly, the brain dies from lack of support. In a healthy body:
- The brain needs oxygen to function.
- The lungs breathe in oxygen from the air.
- Blood carries oxygen from the lungs.
- The heart pumps fresh blood to the brain, providing it with oxygen.
If your patient loses any of these body functions they will take brain damage and eventually die. In a worst case scenario this can happen in mere minutes. Preventing brain damage is your first and immediate concern. When the brain dies, that person is DEAD. There is no chance of recovery; the individual neurons in their brain will have decayed. Cloning is still an experimental field, and few attempts to replicate the brain have been successful.
Medical Equipment
Machines
Body Scanner
- Displays a detailed list of injuries, including organ damage, bone fractures, cut arteries, etc. The readout can also be sent to a monitor in the surgical theater
Sleeper
- Can be used to quickly inject a safe amount of healing chemicals.
Cryo Tube
- Once set up, cryo will slow down the body processes of the occupant. This can buy you much-needed time for patients in critical condition.
Tools
Health Scanner
- Provides limited (but useful!) information on a patient.
Bandages
- Bandages will "soak up" blood from a bleeding wound. You may need to replace them after a while.
Splints
- Keeps broken bones from moving. Mainly a stopgap until bone repair surgery can be done.
Chemicals
A full list of chemicals and their recipies can be found in the Codex in-game. Some of the more important medical chems are:
- Bicaridine - Heals brute damage. Meralyne is an improved version.
- Kelotane - Heals burns. Dermaline is an improved version.
- Dexalin - Heals suffocation, Boosts blood oxygen. Important if your patient cannot breathe.
- Dylovene - Purges toxins from the body.
- Alkysine - Heals brain damage and brain traumas.
- Peridaxon - Heals damage from toxins and heals minor brain damage.
- Coagulant - Reduces blood loss, helps stop bleeding. Important for slowing arterial bleeding.
- Inaprovaline - Incredibly important for keeping people alive. Stabilizes heartrate and slows brain damage.
Preparing each of these in advance would be a good idea. Chems can be the difference between a critical patient and a dead patient.
First Aid Basics
While the body scanner can give you a detailed diagnosis, It's good practice to check for any life-threatening issues before dragging a patient back to medical. Even without a handheld scanner, you can learn quite a bit from simply examining your patient.
A list of things to check and treat:
Breathing
Is your patient able to breathe?
- Healthy lungs inhale oxygen and deliver it to the bloodstream. A lack of air or lung damage may prevent this.
- Symptoms: Gasping, coughing, lack of consciousness
- Use Dexalin to help supply their blood with oxygen
- Perform CPR if they cannot breathe at all, or have someone else trained do it
- Remember that breathing does not mean the patient is fine; their could be issues with blood circulation
Circulation
Is blood flowing to the brain?
- The heart pumps blood to the brain. Heart issues or low blood pressure can stop this.
- Symptoms: dizzyness, lack of consciousness, gasping
- Check your patient's pulse. (This is a right-click menu verb)
- A normal pulse rests around 60-90 BPM. Anything higher or lower is cause for concern.
- Administer Inaprovaline immediately if there are heartrate issues.
- A high heartrate could be caused by a lack of blood or extreme pain (sending them into shock).
- Use painkillers if you think they are in pain.
- Low heartrate can be caused by heart damage.
Blood Loss
Do they have enough blood?
- Symptoms are obvious: blood outside the body, pale skin, gasping for air
- Ideally treated with blood transfusion. DO NOT USE THE WRONG BLOOD TYPE.
- Injecting iron or saline glucose can restore blood levels.
- If there is visible bleeding, apply bandages and use coagulant.
- They might have internal bleeding! Coagulant can slow this; they will need surgery.
- Heart issues and a low blood level tend to go hand-in-hand. If you aren't sure, assume the worst and treat both.
Poisoning
Is something inside the patient making them sick?
- Symptoms: Vomiting, nausea
- Most toxins directly deal organ damage. The liver helps to block this.
- If the patient's liver fails, damage will move to more vital organs, including the heart and lungs.
- Toxic chemicals may or may not still be inside the patient. Dylovene can purge common toxins; Activated Charcoal will remove all chemicals from the body.
- Peridaxon will heal organs damaged from toxins.
Once you are sure that your patient isn't dying, bring them to medical. A stretcher or a fireman carry is best, dragging them on the floor should be a last resort.
Advanced Treatment
In Medbay, you have access to fancy equipment. Patients can be placed in the Body Scanner to find any health issues and locate problems such as damaged arteries and broken bones.
Patients with heart issues are usually your highest priority, but anyone in critical condition should be placed in cryo until you are ready to treat them.
Often times, surgery will be needed. Refer to the Guide to Surgery for more information.