Medical Facilities question

[bermudadude54]

My wife is prone to UTI.  If she were to have a UTI during the cruise, are on board medical facilities able to dispense antibiotics?  We are traveling on Anthem of the Seas.

[njkruzer]

I would  assume so. That used to be a problem for me so I carried the test strips, pain relief neds (Azo brand or stire brand) and antibiotics.  Convinced my doctor to supply the antibiotics.  The rest is otc stuff.  Always seemed to happen late at night or in a foreign country so I wanted to be prepared.  Hope it's not a problem on your cruise.

[ryano]

Being paraplegic, Im prone to them also.  I have taken every antibiotic for UTI imaginable. I highly recommend D Mannose for prevention and Oil of Oregano pills if she gets one.  Google both if you dont believe me 🙂     To answer your question though, yes, I would certainly think the medical facility has the antibiotics most often prescribed for UTI.  The problem is, they likely cant do a culture so there is no way of knowing if its actually working or not.     I have found that once I start feeling Im getting one, the oil of oregano pills kick it within hours

[twangster]

They have a medical center but it does not accept insurance.  Pay out of pocket and then claim it yourself once home. 

 

Many US common health insurance policies that are used for daily coverage at home consider a ship 'international' and may not cover you "out of the country" - check with your health insurance provider.  

 

The ship may have some common antibiotics but no guarantees.  It is not a full service urgent care facility.

[GrandmaOhio]

I developed a UTI mid cruise on Allure last year.  The medical facility ran a quick urinalysis to confirm, then gave me a course of antibiotics.  No insurance, paid out of pocket, but I don't remember how much it was...several hundred dollars, I think.

[RNCindy]

I am prone to getting pyelonephritis (kidney infection).  My urologist gives me a prescription for antibiotics to keep on hand, just in case.  I always travel with them.  Be sure to drink plenty of water while cruising.  The salty air, salty food and alcohol can dehydrate!!  

[Guest maddycat]

21 minutes ago, ryano said:

Being paraplegic, Im prone to them also.  I have taken every antibiotic for UTI imaginable. I highly recommend D Mannose for prevention and Oil of Oregano pills if she gets one.  Google both if you dont believe me 🙂     To answer your question though, yes, I would certainly think the medical facility has the antibiotics most often prescribed for UTI.  The problem is, they likely cant do a culture so there is no way of knowing if its actually working or not.     I have found that once I start feeling Im getting one, the oil of oregano pills kick it within hours

I also swear by d-mannose.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23633128

https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01808755

[reallyitsmema]

59 minutes ago, bermudadude54 said:

My wife is prone to UTI.  If she were to have a UTI during the cruise, are on board medical facilities able to dispense antibiotics?  We are traveling on Anthem of the Seas.

 

Yes, the medical center can prescribe antibiotics.  I have visited there the last two times I have sailed Anthem.  A new patient visit is $135.96 as of three weeks ago.  I didn't get antibiotics this time as it was the flu, so got Tamiflu which was almost $100 for five pills.  I did get antibiotics on our visit before and they were less than $5, forget the exact cost.  All is charged to your onboard account and they send you paperwork that you can then submit to insurance.

[Grandma Dazzles]

19 minutes ago, twangster said:

They have a medical center but it does not accept insurance.  Pay out of pocket and then claim it yourself once home. 

 

Many US common health insurance policies that are used for daily coverage at home consider a ship 'international' and may not cover you "out of the country" - check with your health insurance provider.  

 

The ship may have some common antibiotics but no guarantees.  It is not a full service urgent care facility.

 

Charges are made to your Seapass Card.  You are given standard insurance forms to file with your insurance carrier.

 

Anyone traveling should check their health insurance to see if they have coverage before leaving the US.  Travel insurance, including medical insurance, is always recommended.

 

Actually the medical facility is well equipped. They not only take care of passengers but all the crew on board.  They routinely treat broken bones, infections, even stabilize heart attack patients ready for evacuation - it’s pretty much a full service urgent care.  

 

 

 

[reallyitsmema]

40 minutes ago, twangster said:

They have a medical center but it does not accept insurance.  Pay out of pocket and then claim it yourself once home. 

 

Many US common health insurance policies that are used for daily coverage at home consider a ship 'international' and may not cover you "out of the country" - check with your health insurance provider.  

 

The ship may have some common antibiotics but no guarantees.  It is not a full service urgent care facility.

 

Have you ever actually been in the medical center on a ship?  It is very much a full service urgent care facility.  One of the members of our rollcall had a child break his ankle roller skating on our recent cruise and he was xrayed and casted on the ship.  Many of us had the flu or upper respiratory infections and were treated with a wide variety of medications.  I have been tested for both strep and flu in the past.  There are many posts on these boards from people who have had family treated for heart attacks and were stabilized on the ship.  We have been seen in regular exam rooms and also in their emergency room which has more equipment than I was able to identify.  The ship is very well equipped.  Will they have every medication out there, no, but your local pharmacy doesn't always either.  

[OCruisers]

No problem having UTI treated on the ship!  

[twangster]

6 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Have you ever actually been in the medical center on a ship?  It is very much a full service urgent care facility.  One of the members of our rollcall had a child break his ankle roller skating on our recent cruise and he was xrayed and casted on the ship.  Many of us had the flu or upper respiratory infections and were treated with a wide variety of medications.  I have been tested for both strep and flu in the past.  There are many posts on these boards from people who have had family treated for heart attacks and were stabilized on the ship.  We have been seen in regular exam rooms and also in their emergency room which has more equipment than I was able to identify.  The ship is very well equipped.  Will they have every medication out there, no, but your local pharmacy doesn't always either.  

 

Yes.  And it wasn't anything like many facilities in my home town.  

[ReneeFLL]

If she is prone to them see if her doctor would give her a prescription to have filled before you leave.

[gerif]

4 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

If she is prone to them see if her doctor would give her a prescription to have filled before you leave.

This. DH has emphysema and is prone to pneumonia. He always cruises with antibiotics in hopes of not having to use them. 

[Grandma Dazzles]

10 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Yes.  And it wasn't anything like many facilities in my home town.  

 

Sorry to disagree, but I agree with reallyitsmama  medical center is a well stocked, well staffed urgent care center - no one said it was a trauma center. I think you are confusing urgent care and trauma centers.  

[WI-Cruiser]

10 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

If she is prone to them see if her doctor would give her a prescription to have filled before you leave.

 

This is what DW does.  Carries the meds just in case.   Cheaper than using onboard medical facilities. 

[crochetcruise]

19 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

If she is prone to them see if her doctor would give her a prescription to have filled before you leave.

 

Good point! I don't need them, but have noted in my diary to make sure I have all medications recently dispensed before I embark for peace of mind.

 

Thank You for this reminder.

[seag8s]

I was recently treated for pneumonia on NCL Sky. Two MD's and at least two RN'S. They administered antibiotics and nebulizer treatments for 3 days. All staff were well trained and very professional. My condition improved each day and my doctor at home was very satisfied with the treatment I received. They had all necessary medications on board.

I do agree it would probably be best to take your meds with you if possible.

[sdrocks]

48 minutes ago, seag8s said:

I was recently treated for pneumonia on NCL Sky. Two MD's and at least two RN'S. They administered antibiotics and nebulizer treatments for 3 days. All staff were well trained and very professional. My condition improved each day and my doctor at home was very satisfied with the treatment I received. They had all necessary medications on board.

I do agree it would probably be best to take your meds with you if possible.

 

I  used the medical center on the Anthem when I broke my arm.  I am a retired RN now, but believe me I critiqued all the equipment and the skills of the personnel and I was very impressed.  They did a great job.  Even gave me some propofol to set my arm and then casted it.  Replaced the cast that afternoon as my fingers were swelling.  I was on the ship for 2 more days

and even took an excusion in NYC after the cruise before flying home.  Got home on Sunday, saw dr on Monday, had surgery Tuesday and all is well now.  I asked many questions while there and was satisfied with their competence.

[SRF]

Two things.

 

If this happens frequently, talk to your doctor about a prescription to fill and carry with you if needed.

 

Also, if you know what antibiotic you typically take for this, in a lot of countries outside the US, you can buy antibiotics (and many other things) over the counter.   Best to know the actual chemical name (generic name), not just brand name.  

[resjes]

I emailed Special Needs as I have many medical issues. I am sailing on Anthem in May.

 

This is what they said:

 

"Our Medical facility is located on deck 1 of all our ships. Kindly note, our medical facility is equipped much like an Urgent Care Center with one doctor, and 2-3 nurses. Nurses are also available after hours. Visits to the medical facility are on a paid basis. If for any reason we are unable to fully treat you in the medical facility, we will get you to the nearest hospital at the next land stop. For more severe or critical cases...we are able to airlift you...Please note that the nearest hospital may not be on U.S. Territory, however we will always attempt to get you immediate service as guest safety is our number on priority." - This email came from an Access Advocate.

 

Personally, as someone who has been to an Urgent Care Center (in the USA) many times, they are pretty much equipped to handle flus, infections, etc. We can't pick up prescriptions there but I assume the ship would have antibiotics ready.

 

I have many allergies to antibiotics. The OP has given me a reason to see if obtaining antibiotics before traveling would be warranted. 🤔

[mixplix]

my son broke his arm roller blading on AOS.  They xrayed it, set it and gave him a removable splint, and burned a copy of the xray onto a disc.  My wife took him to an ortho in St. Lucia, who had no issues with what the Dr on board had done.  Same with our ortho once we returned home.  We never received a bill from the boat - we received a bill from the St. Lucia ortho, which our insurance reimbursed 9 months after we submitted it.

[reallyitsmema]

24 minutes ago, resjes said:

I emailed Special Needs as I have many medical issues. I am sailing on Anthem in May.

 

This is what they said:

 

"Our Medical facility is located on deck 1 of all our ships. Kindly note, our medical facility is equipped much like an Urgent Care Center with one doctor, and 2-3 nurses. Nurses are also available after hours. Visits to the medical facility are on a paid basis. If for any reason we are unable to fully treat you in the medical facility, we will get you to the nearest hospital at the next land stop. For more severe or critical cases...we are able to airlift you...Please note that the nearest hospital may not be on U.S. Territory, however we will always attempt to get you immediate service as guest safety is our number on priority." - This email came from an Access Advocate.

 

Personally, as someone who has been to an Urgent Care Center (in the USA) many times, they are pretty much equipped to handle flus, infections, etc. We can't pick up prescriptions there but I assume the ship would have antibiotics ready.

 

I have many allergies to antibiotics. The OP has given me a reason to see if obtaining antibiotics before traveling would be warranted. 🤔

 

The ship does have many medications they can supply, including antibiotics.  I also have multiple drug allergies, including two families of antibiotics, and the ship was able to provide me with the same antibiotic my physician would have prescribed at home.

[resjes]

8 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

The ship does have many medications they can supply, including antibiotics.  I also have multiple drug allergies, including two families of antibiotics, and the ship was able to provide me with the same antibiotic my physician would have prescribed at home.

 

Do you know if the ship has Levaquin? That's basically the only one I can take..and z-pack..even though it's not strong enough.

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, resjes said:

 

Do you know if the ship has Levaquin? That's basically the only one I can take..and z-pack..even though it's not strong enough.

 

They definitely have z paks as that is what I was prescribed.  Do not know about Levaquin, but I would expect they do as that is not that uncommon of a drug.  If you are really concerned, I would just speak to your doctor before you leave and see if they will prescribe something.

 

I have been to medical multiple times and have been very happy with the care I received there.  I know they have strict requirements for the doctors they hire, I think it is a minimum of two years emergency medicine experience.  Not sure about the nurses.