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Excellent medical care is provided on Carnival

November 20, 2012 12:10 am

We were disappointed to see the Nov. 5 story "Friends' actions aboard ship save woman's life," which left an erroneous impression of actions taken by the ship's medical team that were instrumental in helping to save Patty Bliss' life.

Carnival Cruise Lines commends the other guests cited in the article for providing the initial CPR that contributed to her resuscitation. The fact that she is alive and well after experiencing cardiac arrest on board speaks volumes about the combined efforts of everyone involved, including the onboard medical team and our well-organized 911 emergency- response system.

Three "shocks" from the automatic external defibrillator were appropriately and expediently administered by the ship's medical personnel. The swift response and proper use of the equipment were ultimately key factors in saving this patient's life.

The wellbeing of our guests and crew is our top priority, and our fleet follows strict guidelines developed by the American College of Emergency Physicians as they relate to staffing and equipment. Each ship in the Carnival fleet carries at least one doctor and three nurses; the Carnival Glory carries two doctors and four nurses.

In addition to standard lifesaving equipment such as defibrillators, 12-lead EKG machines, external pacemakers, and life-support ventilators, our medical centers offer advanced medical therapies such as fibrinolysis to treat heart attacks and the ability to administer blood transfusions at sea. Our ships are also equipped with X-ray machines and extensive laboratory capabilities.

John Bradberry, M.D.

Miami, Fla.

Dr. Bradberry is medical director of Carnival Cruise Lines.