Medical is a demanding job for both doctor characters and the people who roleplay them. As it stands, compelling medical roleplay is practically gatekept behind those medical roleplayers. Much less that medicine is incredibly complicated and doesn't mix well with the average roleplayer, but typical medical roleplay is thematically anachronistic for the setting. This guide will provide not only useful terminology, but also new medical technologies, to help you roleplay as a doctor more effectively. As with all guides, the content here is optional to follow. The content here is fairly complex, but presented in such a way that you can refer to it whenever you should need.
Terminology
- HR: Heart rate. The measure, in bpm (beats or compressions per minute), of a patient's heart activity. 60-100 bpm at rest is considered normal.
- BP: Blood pressure. The pressure of a patient's blood vessels (measured in mmHg [mm of mercury] above surrounding atmospheric pressure [101kPa]). Measured with a systolic (maximum) and diastolic (minimum) measurement. 120/80 mmHg is considered normal.
- Resuscitation: The act of reviving a patient from a state of near-death through defibrillation, CPR, or other means.
- CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The act of pumping the chest of a critical patient with both hands or through a machine to attempt to make blood flow around the body. CPR should be performed at 100 bpm (100 compressions per minute).
- Heart attack: Medically referred to as a "myocardial infarction". Condition in which the heart's muscles are damaged caused by a loss of blood supply due to blocks in the arteries. This can be treated with stenting. Not to be confused with cardiac arrest.
- Cardiac arrest: Also known as "asystole". A condition in which the patient's heart has stopped working or pumping blood. It can be treated with CPR temporarily or with an injection of epinephrine.
- Bradycardia: A slow heart rate, generally considered to be lower than 60bpm for non-pediatric patients.
- Tachycardia: A fast heart rate, generally considered to be higher than 100bpm for non-pediatric patients.
- Hypotension: A low blood pressure, generally considered to be less than 90/60.
- Hypertension: A high blood pressure, generally considered to be over 130/80.
Technology and Medications
Medication
| Name | Treatment for | Description | Side Effects | Overdose effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bicaridine | Trauma | Stimulates platelets in the bloodstream and encourages the body to allocate more resources to wound management. Greatly accelerates trauma healing. | Weakness, fever | Coma |
| Kelotane | Burns | Promotes the redevelopment of damaged tissue as well as stimulating the immune system to remove dead burn tissue. Greatly accelerates burn healing. | Lowered immune system, fever | Internal bleeding |
| Dylovene | Toxins | Contains a complex protein structure that attracts poisons or toxins capable of damaging biological tissue. Neutralizes toxins and can be safely purged via the liver. Has the side effect of encouraging expulsion of toxins via vomiting. | Vomiting, nausea | Poisonous in large doses |
| Inaprovaline | Stabilization | Raises heart rate, increases awareness, prevents patients in critical condition from having their heart stop beating. Mild painkiller. | Heart damage | Cardiac arrest |
| Phalanximine | Cellular | Uses synthetic stem cells to combat cellular and tissue damage in the body alongside an assortment of other chemicals. Can be used to heal radiation very effectively and is commonly used in cancer treatment. Can cause or worsen cancer if overdosed. | Weakness, muscle pain | Cancer |
| Peridaxon | Organ treatment | Promotes healing and revival of damaged or decaying organs at the cost of taking resources away from bodily function. | Weakness, lower organ efficiency | Coma |
| Dexalin | Oxygenation | A protein compound containing oxygen that can be safely metabolized by the body to deliver oxygen when the lungs or heart are compromised. | Hypotension | Oxygen toxicity syndrome |
| Tranexamic Acid | Bleeding | Prevents the breakdown on blood clots to prevent profuse bleeding. Commonly found in small doses in emergency first-aid kits. | Muscle pain, headache | Cardiac arrest |
| Cordrazine | Revival | A modified form of epinephrine that is specially used to treat cardiac arrest. Has a significantly reduced rate of brain damage when used compared to epinephrine. | Brain damage | Myocardial infarction |
| Alkysine | Brain | An experimental drug that forces the brain to make new neurons in place of damaged or deceased ones. Has several controversial side effects. | Short-term memory loss, disorientation | Amnesia, dementia |
Equipment & Technology
General
| Name | Handheld/Machinery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Intravenous Set | Handheld | Known simply as an IV set, the Intravenous Set is a streamlined article of technology and the bread and butter of any doctor for injecting or drawing any intravenous fluid. It is comprised of a disposable syringe and vial loaded into a handheld injection device similar in appearance to a barcode scanner, and a medical reagent scanner that analyses the contents of the vial for it's chemical makeup once inserted. |
| Defibrillator | Two electrically charged pads that can be applied to the chest to deliver an electric charge to a patient to restore a normal heartbeat. | |
| Cautery | Used to perform emergency wound closure through cauterisation. May also be known as a searing tool. | |
| Medipen Autoinjector | An autoinjector commonly found in first-aid kits. May contain epinephrine or any other medicine. Some models are reusable while others are not. | |
| Handheld Health Analyser | Uses advanced sensor technology and artificial intelligence to identify and diagnose ailments. Combined with sensor pads, it can quickly identify any physical injury or ailment to a certain degree. Most effective with physical injury and is less effective with cellular and nervous damage. Can be attached to the side of Intravenous Sets. | |
| Biofoam | Biofoam is a rapidly expanding and solidifying foam used to patch wounds more effectively than gauze or tourniquets. Sprayed out of a canister, Biofoam quickly fills a wound and then solidifies to prevent blood loss and infection, and can be removed later by an accompanying foam that harmlessly disintegrates it. The use of biofoam is fairly painful when filling a wound. | |
| Regen Cream | An application of synthetic stem cell technology that can be applied through a cream to regenerate lost skin within a day. Requires a precise usage or may cause skin cancer. | |
| Biobrace | A cylindrical brace that automatically shrinks and retracts to hold a part of the body in place, in reference to the part of the body it was placed over. Replaces tourniquets and also keeps bones in place when fractured or broken. Though painful and potentially dangerous in the case of bone damage, one can walk while wearing a biobrace. | |
| Synthetic Blood | A stand-in for proper blood transfusion that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. Not a substitute for blood, breaks down into harmless chemicals over time and is eventually flushed out of the body through urine. | |
| Interfacing Prosthetic | A prosthetic that can be easily inserted in place of a missing limb and, within a few minutes, detect, adapt and copy nervous signals travelling through the parent body, allowing for a close-to-perfect recreation of senses by also sending signals back into the parent body. Standard interfacing prosthetics have no special features. For non-limb injuries like eyes and ears, surgery is required to properly attach. | |
| Stasis Bag | Used for critical condition patients, Stasis Bags, as the name implies, keeps the patient's body in stasis, preventing further internal bleeding, blood loss and metabolism of chemicals. Carried in the form of a large pouch that can be inflate to a larger size through a chemical reaction that also creates the stasis liquid. Inflated stasis bags are large enough to house an average person. They are disposable and not reusable. | |
| Full Scanner | Machinery | A large, MRI-like machine. The Handheld Health Analyser's big brother, it is capable of detecting countless details about a person's body when scanned, including ailments and injury, blood pressure and brain scans all without the need for physical contact. Can perform scans of skeletal structure to create a replacement for missing bone fragments that can be printed by fabricators. |
| Autodoc | Stem Cell Regenerative Treatment Machines (SCRTM), also known as Autodocs, are large machines which combine synthetic stem cells with nanite and medical injections to precisely and effectively regenerate nearly any amount of lost tissue or flesh. Also employs the use of bone paste to repair and regenerate bones. The SCRTM and it's treatment process is incredibly expensive, but it can heal being cut in half through the abdomen in about a week. | |
| Stasis Bed | A large bed with a glass cover with a number of items inside designed to facilitate bodily functions while in stasis. When a patient is placed inside, the entire chamber is filled with stasis liquid - the same gel-like substance used in Stasis Bags that stop internal bleeding, external bleeding and metabolism.
Stasis Beds are used to preserve patients that cannot be treated for a long period (such as transit from a hostile environment) but can also be used to administer medicines that should be quickly metabolised, utilising nanite injection to distribute medicine throughout the body while in stasis. | |
| Hardlight Stretcher | A hardlight projector programmed to generate a stretcher to lift and carry patients without potentially dangerous movement. The large projectors can be carried by one or more personnel while the stretcher it projects keeps the patient suspended above the ground. This allows the patient to be safely moved across uncertain terrain, but is rather resource intensive and is typically only used in extreme situations, in active combat, or if the ship has built-in hardlight projectors for purposes like these. |
Surgery
| Name | Handheld/Machinery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scalpel | Handheld | Used for making incisions. |
| Laser Scalpel | Used for precise surgeries that only require a minimal entry point. | |
| Hemostat | Used for clamping arteries shut and additionally grabbing onto objects. | |
| Retractor | Used for keeping open an incision. | |
| Needle & Thread | Used to stitch an incision or wound closed. Also known as suture. | |
| Intravenous Set | See above. | |
| Bonepaste | Used to glue bones together, hardening into actual bone after a few days. | |
| Bonesetter | Used for treating joint dislocations. | |
| Cautery | Used to perform emergency wound closure. Also known as a searing tool. | |
| Disposal Tray | Used to dispose of foreign or unwanted objects. | |
| Anaesthesia Machine | Machinery | Controls and regulates the flow of anesthesia to a patient undergoing surgery. |
| Cardiopulmonary bypass machine | Usually used during cardiac surgery, it acts as an artificial heart that circulates blood and oxygen throughout the body. | |
| Electrocardiogram | Used to show the heart rhythm of a patient. Used to diagnose heart arrhythmias. | |
| Electroencephalogram | Used to show the brain activity of a patient. | |
| Ventilator | A machine used while a patient is under anesthesia or if a patient is incapable of breathing sufficiently on their own. This is used along with an endotracheal tube to intubate someone. It also helps for exhaling, removing CO2 from the bloodstream. |
Triage
Triaging is the process of basing incoming patients' care priority based on the extent of their injuries or ailments, including their condition and their physical and mental state. A patient should also be prioritized based on the extent of their visual injuries - someone with bullet wounds should be prioritized over someone with a light cut or bruise. Once patients have been appropriately prioritized, proceed to Treatment.
Doctors should look for the following and determine a patient's condition accordingly:
| Red | Orange | Yellow | Green | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airways | Obstructed | Threatened | Clear | Clear |
| HR/Heart Rate (bpm) | >130 bpm | 121-130 bpm | 111-120 bpm | 50-110 bpm |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | < 8 | 9-13 | 14 | 15 |
| Traumatic Bleeding | Hemmorhage | Major | Minor | None |
| Procedure | Resuscitation | Urgent | Less urgent | Not urgent |
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a measure of the awareness level of a patient from a scale of 3-15: 14-15 being peak consciousness (normal, everyday function) to 3 (comatose). A number should be assigned accordingly based on how conscious the patient is when responding to stimuli such as bright lights in the eyes, or pain.
Blood Compatibility
| Recipient Blood Type | Matching Blood Type |
| A+ | A+, A-, O+, O- |
| A- | A-, O- |
| B+ | B+, B-, O+, O- |
| B- | B-, O- |
| AB+ | Compatible with all blood types |
| AB- | AB-, A-, B-, O- |
| O+ | O+, O- |
| O- | O- |
Treatment
Wound Treatment and Dressing
Following are the steps to close and seal a wound.
- Wash or sterilize your hands before attempting to touch compromised skin.
- If the wound is bleeding, apply pressure using a clean, dry gauze pad until bleeding subsides.
- Clean the wound with soap and warm, running water. If water is not available, use a non-sting disinfectant. Do not use alcohol.
- Dry the area using dry gauze pads. Dab the pads on the wound; do not rub or wipe.
- Dress the wound using gauze roll and medical tape. Do not apply adhesive directly to the wound.
- Administer an intravenous (syringe) or oral (pill) dosage of Bicaridine.
The following procedure should be used if a wound is profusely bleeding, has not stopped bleeding or is larger than 2 cm in diameter or length in any dimension.
- Thoroughly apply iodine around the wound, never on it.
- If the wound is in an extremity (such as the limb), if the bleeding is arterial tightly apply a biobrace or rope around the portion of the limb closer to the body to limit blood flow to the wound.
- Use a sterile gauze roll and medical tape or large bandages to wrap the wound tightly to apply pressure.
- After bleeding has subsided, use medical staples or stitches to force the wound to seal.
- Apply a bandage over the wound to prevent infection.
- Treat for shock if present (see below).
- Administer an intravenous dosage of Bicaridine, Dylovene is an infection is present, and tranexamic acid to stop bleeding.
Bone Breakage
Bone breakage can be defined as the fracture, splintering, or shattering of a bone.
- Perform wound treatment and dressing if there is an open wound.
- Immobilize the injured area by applying a splint above and below the injured areas.
- Apply cold gel packs to the injured area to minimize swelling.
- Treat with anesthetic or painkillers to minimize pain and risk of shock.
- Treat for shock if present (see below).
Shock Treatment
Treating a patient who begins to display rapid breathing, lightheadedness or otherwise beginning to feel faint or pass out, perform shock treatment immediately.
- Lay the person down on a bed or couch or, if none is available, on a flat surface.
- Elevate the patient's feet about 12 inches (30 cm) above their head unless the head, neck or spine is injured. Do not raise their head.
- If the patient is at risk of vomiting, turn them to the side.
- Administer oxygen and appropriate IV fluids (see section "IVs" below).
IVs
IVs (intravenous fluid) is a method of medication or blood injection by injecting a persistent injection port into a vein on a person's body (forearm, neck, chest, extremities), and then administering medicine by connecting the port via a tube to an external bag holding the fluid.
A list of common IV fluids can be found below, though medications and other fluids may be used depending on the situation.
| Fluid | Composition | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Saline-glucose solution (Saline) | 0.9% NaCl dissolved in water | General nutrition and hydration |
| Ringer's Lactate (RL/RiLac) | NaCl, sodium lactate, KCl, CaCl in water | Replacing fluids and electrolytes in patients with low blood pressure or volume |
| Dextrose solution (D5W) | dextrose in water | Treats low blood sugar or water loss |
| Blood | blood | Injection of blood is used to treat transfusions |
| Carbopluoxicium | N/A | Used as an artificial oxidizer for a patient with compromised lungs |
Disease Control
Disease control is the act of isolating a patient infected with a contagious pathogen such as a fungal, bacterial or viral infection. A few important notes to treatment are;
- If the pathogen is highly contagious, isolate the patient in one of two Quarantine chambers available in the medical bay.
- Avoid direct contact with a quarantined patient and always use proper hazmat gear.
Medication
| Medicine name | Treats | Description | Taken by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penicillin-10 | bacterial infections | A modified, more potent strain of penicillin for more effective usage in treating infections. | Oral, injection |
| Kavananir | viral infections | An antiviral drug invented in the mid-21st century capable of treating most mild to moderate viral infections. | Injection |
| Imucondozone | immune booster | An immunotherapeutic drug used to boost the natural state of the immune system. Should be taken with supplemental nutrients to provide the necessary resources. | Oral, Injection |
| Bacteriophages | bacterial infections | An experimental treatment that uses viruses that only attack and infect bacteria. Useful for treating severe bacterial infections. | Injection |
| Fungicium-B | fungal infections | A medication containing a select amount of artificial and organic chemicals that specifically target and kill harmful fungi. | Oral |