Avast! Acute Medical Emergencies of Detained Pirates or Local Nationals

Piracy continues to be an issue worldwide; the United States (U.S.) Navy and other militaries are often involved in anti-piracy operations around the globe. With these operations comes the detention of pirates aboard maritime vessels. Medical professionals have a duty to provide medical care for these detained pirates, and they present unique challenges in that language is often a barrier, they are constantly under guard, many have never had medical care before, they have conditions which are less common in the western world, and follow-up care is uncertain. The maritime medical team must be prepared and able to provide the same level of care for these patients as their own shipmates.