Sickbay

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Sickbay.

Sickbay was the main medical center aboard Federation starships. Sickbay was presided over by the chief medical officer (CMO), a senior staff member. The CMO was supported by various doctors and nurses. The area was also used for certain analyses of new lifeforms a starship might encounter, and for developing treatments for unknown diseases or illnesses. When rendering aid to a stricken planet or spacecraft, the sickbay staff treated and cared for the wounded. On starbases, sickbay was typically called the infirmary.

Sickbays were well stocked with a variety of medical equipment and supplies. Much of it was left out on tables or benches for use by the medical crew, but some items were stored in cargo crates. A standard food replicator was also found in sickbay.

Due to its critical importance, the primary sickbay was usually located deep within the saucer section of most Federation starships. Sickbays were well-protected, and generally had a phaser locker for defense of the facility in the event the ship was boarded.

Features

Depending on the size of the starship, a Sickbay could have some or all of the following features:

CMO's Office

The chief medical officer's office is typically located in or near sickbay. As with the captain's ready room, it was an area for the CMO to work in privacy or conduct meetings with patients, staff, and others. Its close location allowed the CMO to be present in sickbay almost immediately.

Intensive Care Units

Three or four biobeds generally lined the walls of sickbay's intensive care unit, or ICU; these were for patients receiving medical care and were equipped with biofunction monitors.

Laboratories

Sickbays typically had small laboratory facilities attached to the ICU. The chief medical officer or other associated personnel could monitor experiments or run tests here during their duty shift. The laboratory was equipped with a full bioisolation field. Many starships also have separate, larger medlabs.

Surgical Facilities

Sickbays also had surgical beds, where major surgeries were performed and critical patients were treated. A large, sophisticated sensor cluster was usually installed directly above this bed. Working in conjunction with a medical tricorder, the sensor suite could give detailed information about a patient's condition. The bed was also designed to use a surgical support frame. This bed was often located in the center of the main sickbay area, though they could also have their own separate spaces. If necessary, surgery could be conducted in the intensive care ward if there was an overflow of patients or if another patient was present to donate blood.

Other Features

Other treatment facilities that could be available:

Emergency Situations

Triage

When a large scale disaster was encountered by a starship, cargo bays and shuttlebays could be used as triage centers and even morgues if necessary. Generally, this was only feasible on larger ships with a sizable medical staff. A chief medical officer can order all Star Fleet crewmembers and civilians with medical training to assist during a major crisis. Starships also carried large quantities of backup medical supplies in the event of disaster.

Designated environmental shelters could also be converted for medical use, such as Ten Forward or the mess hall.

Emergency Medical Hologram

The Emergency Medical Hologram was an asset to medical personnel introduced in 2370. It could be activated in the event of a major emergency or loss of the medical staff. Although its value was indisputable, many Star Fleet doctors were not fond of the program, and it was rewritten several times. One noteworthy EMH was The Doctor of the USS Voyager. He was activated shortly after the ship's disappearance in 2371, and served as their chief medical officer for nearly seven years, growing into a sentient being in the process.