Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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If l i EDICAL DEPART Q The Sick Bay on a large carrier of this class is located on the third deck aft. lt amounts to a compact hospital. lt has facilities to perform major cperations, routine lab work, X-ray, pharmaceutical procedures and dental treatments lt can comforta- bly accommodate about forty patients at one time, although in an emergency it can be geared up to an almost unlimited capacity. TlVhen we were hit b a kamikase, we took care of l5U patients, performed over twenty major operations successfully and numberless minor ones in a period of four days. The Surgical Dressing Room is undoubtedly the best known compartment in Sick Bay, since it is here that morning, noon and evening sick call is held. From fifty to lUU men report here daily for treat- ment and consultation. lt is capable of handling most minor operations, treatments and out-patients receiving daily treatment. Operations that cannot be performed here are referred to surgery. Surgery consists of two rooms. The smaller is a combination sterilizing, scrub and linen room. The other is the operating room proper. ln here is the operating table, shadowless lights, and a complete basic set of instruments for anything from complex brain surgery to simple suturing. About 250 opera- tions are performed aboard ship annually. Major small Y operations, where the patient requires a long re- covery period, are transferred to a base hospital or to a hospital ship. H Division Our forty-bunk ward is the largest compartment in Sick Bay. An average of fifteen patients are enrolled all the time for treatment. The four-bunk isolation ward and two surgical bed quiet rooms are also under the ward management, and a diet kitchen with electric range, oven and refrigerator is available for special diets and nourishment. The Pharmacy aboard this carrier carries a com- plete stock of drugs, from which can be compounded most common prescriptions. lt is complete in every detail, even to display bottles. Although small, the Bacteria Laboratory has the facilities to perform almost any test required, lt is staffed by one man, who is kept busy most of the day with complete blood counts, urinanalyses, cul- tures, kahns and a variety of other types of tests. Next to the lab is the X-Ray Dark Room. It is here that, the film from the portable X-ray machine is developed. One man is kept busy here most of the day taking pictures and developing them. Although small, the portable X-ray unit produces remarkable results. The Examining Room, although designed and equipped to conduct physical examinations for our pilots, also serves as our eye, ear, nose and throat clinic. lt boasts of a new modern treatment and diagnostic cabinet. Our two-unit Dental Office, capable of doing res- toration, extraction and X-ray work, is modern in fQQ. ff- N32 '-T ' NJ' xx .V 'Z NL 2f:'1i1 ,iiff 4 l. ,gl . K our 11 .. 5 1 ' ' ' , it V , Q w Q X i ., rw s - x h bg., 3 w .- k v 9 I N 4 I