MEDICAL LOGS

STAR TREK CONTEXTUAL MEDICAL GLOSSARY

 

This 'Star Trek Contextual Medical Glossary' deals with certain medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and protocols which occur in previous Star Trek as well as [Voyager], omitting [Enterprise] which was written and aired after [Voyager], enabling the items to be seen in the context of the history of the (Star Trek) universe and the broader context of Starfleet Medical. Entries are in alphabetical order.

Standard abbreviations of Star Trek series: These are as used throughout the site, namely: [TOS] for The Original Series, [TNG] for The Next Generation, [DS9] for Deep Space 9. Film titles are given in full.

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

Aboard a Federation starship or within a Federation facility, the Chief Medical Officer is the officer charged with responsibility for the health and well-being of the ship's crew or staff. Under certain circumstances, the CMO is authorised to certify a ship's captain as unfit for command - under Starfleet Medical Regulation 121, Section A, the Doctor, as the chief medical officer, can relieve the captain of active command which the Doctor does regarding Janeway in an unrealised timeline in  [#77 Year Of Hell, Part 2]. In the 23rd century, in [TOS: The Doomsday Machine], Order 104 Section C of Starfleet General Orders is noted, stating that the chief medical officer may relieve a commander of duty if the commander is mentally or physically unfit; presumably the physician would have to back up this claim with the results of a physical examination. Chief Medical Officers on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 included Dr Phillip Boyce, Dr Mark Piper and Dr Leonard McCoy. Aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, the post was held by Dr Beverly Crusher with an interval away during which Dr Katherine Pulaski served. Dr. Julian Bashir served in the post aboard station Deep Space 9. On USS Voyager, the Emergency Medical Hologram program filled the post of Chief Medical Officer after the original (human) doctor was killed, along with the medical staff, when the ship was brought into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker's displacement wave,  [#1 and #2 Caretaker] and  [#7 Eye Of The Needle].

above: six Starfleet chief medical officers

Dr Phlox of Enterprise NX-01 Dr McCoy of USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Dr Crusher of USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Dr Pulaski of USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Dr Bashir of Deep Space 9 Human doctor (name unknown), the C.M.O. of USS Voyager NCC-74656 when the starship launched on the Badlands mission in early 2371 picture sources: [Enterprise: Dear Doctor]* [TOS: Who Mourns For Adonais] [TNG: Who Watches The Watchers]* [TNG: Pen Pals]* [DS9: Dr Bashir, I Presume?]  [#1 Caretaker, Part One]

CORDRAZINE

Powerful pharmaceutical stimulant used by Federation medical personnel.

Other use in Star Trek: Dr. McCoy prescribed 2 millilitres of cordrazine to Lieutenant Sulu, who suffered serious electrical burns when the ship was investigating time-distortion waves in 2267 near the Guardian of Forever. Another time wave caused McCoy to receive an accidental overdose of cordrazine, whereupon he experienced extreme paranoid delusions and fled to a planet's surface. [TOS: The City on the Edge of Forever]. McCoy also used cordrazine to revive Ensign Rizzo when he was attacked by the dikironium cloud creature. [TOS: Obsession]. Dr. Beverly Crusher used 25 millilitres of cordrazine in a last-ditch effort to save Worf's life when his body rejected genetronic replicator therapy in 2368. [TNG: Ethics]. In 2371, Dr. Julian Bashir used cordrazine when fighting to save Vedek Bareil's life after Bareil was injured in an explosion aboard a Bajoran transport. [DS9: Life Support]. Cordrazine is also mentioned in [DS9: Distant Voices] and [DS9: The Quickening] and Encyclopaedia says it is mentioned in "numerous other episodes of [Star Trek: Deep Space Nine] and [Star Trek: Voyager]." Tricordrazine was presumably based on cordrazine, the drug that sent McCoy on a paranoid flight in [TOS: The City on the Edge of Forever] (see above); it was powerful neurostimulant drug usually administered subcutaneously by hypospray. Tricordrazine treatment was successfully used by Dr. Pulaski to stimulate neural activity in William Riker when he had suffered neural injury on an away mission at planet Surata IV. [TNG: Shades of Gray].

Use by Voyager's Doctor: He uses two millilitres of cordrazine to revive Kim after he dies on the Vhnori homeworld in 2371  [#9 Emanations]. In 2372, Neelix suggests administering cordrazine to an ailing reptilian infant lifeform, but Paris rejects the idea as too dangerous  [#23 Parturition]. The Doctor administered 50 milligrammes of cordrazine to Tuvok in 2373 when he almost enters a coma due to a sudden disruption in the hippocampus during a mind-meld.  [#44 Flashback]. In 2373, in  [#57 Coda], the Doctor revives Janeway by first using cordrazine along with the cortical stimulator followed by synaptic stimulation and ultimately administers a thoron pulse. In early 2376, in  [#123 Barge Of The Dead], the Doctor initiates emergency resuscitation upon Torres and orders 20 milligrammes of cordrazine.

CORTICAL STIMULATOR

Medical instrument used to revitalise neural activity in a humanoid nervous system. Used aboard Federation starships. Captain Jean-Luc Picard was treated with a cortical stimulator following his exposure to the Kataan probe on stardate 45944 [TNG: The Inner Light]. In 2371, Voyager's Doctor uses two cortical simulators to return Chakotay's bio-neural energy to his body  [#13 Cathexis]. The Doctor uses a cortical stimulator on Tuvok when he suffers from a t'lokan schism  [#44 Flashback] and to revive Janeway, in conjunction with other treatment, following her near-fatal injury  [#57 Coda].

DERMAL REGENERATOR

Starfleet medical instrument used to repair damaged epidermal tissue, ref. [DS9: The Homecoming], ref.  [#11 State of Flux] when the Doctor calls for one to use on the injured Seska. The Doctor instructs Kes to use a dermal regenerator on a crewman who has second degree burns, in  [#36 Investigations]. The Doctor orders Kes to use a dermal regenerator on the worst of the radiation burns suffered by the Ilari then scan for contamination of the surrounding tissue,  [#52 Warlord]. A dermal regenerator is mentioned but not used by the Darkling Doctor in  [#60 Darkling]. In an unrealised timeline, Janeway suffers third-degree burns over 60 per cent of her body, leaving her with scars on her arms and face, because the Doctor does not have a dermal regenerator,  [#77 Year Of Hell, Part 2]. The Doctor orders Seven to go to the Bridge and use a dermal regenerator to treat burns received by the Bridge crew,  [#93 One]. Neelix "knows his way around a dermal regenerator", to imitate a convincing burns wound on Seven's face, as a ploy in  [#119 Warhead]. Paris lost a dermal regenerator, noted in  [#166 Author Author].

Non-Starfleet dermal regenerator. The Hirogen hunter uses a non-Starfleet dermal regenerator on Seven,  [#135 Tsunkatse]. On Quarra, Chakotay finds Janeway who, under the influence of the mind-control supervised by Dr Kadan, does not recognise him and is suspicious of him. Attempting to convince her she is a starship captain with another life, Chakotay uses a non-Starfleet dermal regenerator to undo the alterations made to his face, revealing that they are of the same race.  [#163 Workforce, Part 2].

HYPOSPRAY

Medical instrument used by Starfleet medical personnel for subcutaneous and intramuscular administration of medication for many humanoid patients. The hypospray uses an extremely fine, high-pressure aero-suspension delivery system, eliminating the need for a needle to physically penetrate the skin.

setting the dosage on the hypospray	pressing the control on the hypospray to deliver the medication
in a daydream of the Doctor's, a sedative is prepared and administered to Tuvok,  [#124 Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy]

vial storage with vials,  [#15 Jetrel]

A vial containing the medication to be administered is inserted into the hypospray and the dosage controlled by touch-controls on the hypospray device. Standard-issue vials are interchangeable. The device and vial system is used throughout Star Trek. See SHIP USS VOYAGER: Hypospray and vial-loader.

HYRONALIN

Medication used for treatment of radiation exposure in humanoid patients. Hyronalin replaced adrenaline for such applications, although hyronalin had no effect on a radiation-induced hyperaccelerated-aging disease from planet Gamma Hydra IV which afflicted several Enterprise crew members in 2267, [TOS: The Deadly Years]. Hyronalin was used to treat the crew of the Enterprise-D when the ship was exposed to hazardous levels of radiation while towing a derelict waste ship away from planet Gamelan V in 2367; the drug was administered by introducing hyronalin vapour into the ship's ventilation system, [TNG: Final Mission]. Chief Engineer La Forge and Dr Crusher of the Enterprise-D crew required hyronalin treatments following exposure to plasma fire radiation in the cargo bay in 2368, [TNG: Disaster]. (La Forge is seen, as a captain, in an unrealised timeline in  [#100 Timeless].) Deep Space 9's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julian Bashir administered hyronalin to Chief Miles O'Brien for radiation poisoning in 2371, [DS9: Visionary]. Voyager's Doctor administers to Paris a combination of hyronalin and lectrazine, as a temporary protection against radiation from the astral eddy's plasma wake,  [#64 Real Life]. (Lectrazine's use throughout [Voyager] is noted in the individual episode entries.)

INAPROVALINE

Cardiostimulatory pharmaceutical in use by Starfleet medical personel. Dr. Beverly Crusher ordered inaprovaline to the Zalkonian named John Doe to help stabilise his condition. [TNG: Transfigurations]. The pharmaceutical is usually administered intravenously by hypospray [TNG: Ethics]. In 2371, Dr. Julian Bashir administered inaprovaline to his patient Vedek Bareil in the course of his treatment for radiation-induced injuries, in [DS9: Life Support]. In high doses, inaprovaline can also be used to stimulate cell regeneration, ref.  [#35 Lifesigns]. The Doctor gives the drunken Seven inaprovaline, ref.  [#100 Timeless], administers it when Torres goes into cytotoxic shock in  [#102 Nothing Human], and uses it as part of the treatment for Ensign Ballard in  [#138 Ashes To Ashes].

MEDICAL TRICORDER

The Doctor is showing us a medical tricorder. Thank you, Doctor.

A tricorder is a multi-purpose scientific and technical instrument incorporating sensors, computers, and recorders in a convenient, portable form. The first Starfleet model is seen in [TOS: The Naked Time]. Several models of Starfleet tricorders have been used by starship crews over the years, all of which have featured state-of-the-art sensing technology, and have been an essential part of starship missions and operations. The medical tricorder is configured more for medical diagnosis. In  [#1 Caretaker, Part 1], the Doctor asks for a tricorder, Kim hands him one and he hands it back, saying in an impatient tone: "Medical tricorder." Specialised tricorders are available for specific engineering and scientific applications as well as medical. They are seen and/or mentioned innumerable times throughout Star Trek. Standard-issue Starfleet tricorders were unable to detect subspace phenomena in 2366 in [TNG: The Bonding], and also incapable of sensing neutrino emissions in [TNG: The Enemy], and the presence of thoron particles could interfere with a tricorder scan - the Maquis used to evade tricorder searches by using portable thoron generators, a ploy used by Lon Suder to escape Kazon-Nistrim detection in  [#43 Basics, Part 2]. For tricorder technical specifications and screenshots, SHIP USS VOYAGER: tricorder. In  [#85 Retrospect], a short physical description is given by Seven: "A medical tricorder: duritanium casing, 7.6 centimetres by 9.8 centimetres by 3.2 centimetres, alphanumeric display."

above: tricorder shown from different angles, and also shown open and closed

SICKBAY

Medical care facility aboard Federation starships (and other space vessels), first seen in [TOS: The Corbomite Maneuver]. The sickbay aboard the Starships named Enterprise have included one or more intensive-care wards, a doctor's office, a medical laboratory, an OB/GYN unit, as well as other facilities including an examination room and rehabilitation equipment. On a Galaxy-class starship such as the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, at least four medical personnel are on duty at all times, [TNG: Remember Me], doubtless to the large number of personnel aboard as standard - over a thousand. In a large-scale disaster, sickbay facilities could be supplemented by converting the shuttlebays into emergency triage and treatment centres, [TNG: Ethics]. The sickbay on an Intrepid-class starship, such as USS Voyager, is located on Deck 5,  [#40 Tuvix], specifically Deck 5 Section 15-Alpha as noted in  [#88 Vis a Vis]. Aboard Federation starships, Sickbay is the responsibility of the ship's Chief Medical Officer (see entry: Chief Medical Officer). Biobeds feature biofunction monitors above each patient, making it easy for medical personnel to monitor the patient's vital signs.

1. the three standard biobeds in USS Voyager's Sickbay	2. top end of a standard biobed, note the diagnostic monitor display
3. a standard bed, this one is located to the right of a Jefferies tube hatch which can be used for emergency evacuation if exit by door is impossible	4. primary biobed
screenshots from 1.  [#75 Scientific Method], 2.  [#145 The Haunting Of Deck Twelve], 3.  [#15 Jetrel], 4.  [#60 Darkling]

USS Voyager's primary biobed which is located in the surgical bay,  [#116 Someone To Watch Over Me]

occasionally the patient is placed the opposite round to normal, with the head where the feet are usually placed,  [#62 Favorite Son]

Sickbay with and without the primary biobed,  [#79 Concerning Flight]

On Voyager, Sickbay has a surgical bay which contains the primary biobed, which incorporates a 'clamshell', the production staff's and thus fan's term for the two curved panels which can be activated to rise up over the patient from either side. The 'clamshell', a term never seen or heard in the series, contains an array of diagnostic instruments. There are three ordinary biobeds in addition - see screenshots above.

the 'clamshell', activated and fully risen up over the patient,  [#13 Cathexis]

the 'clamshell' fully deactivated and fully activated,  [#16 Learning Curve]

Forcefields can be erected around any of the biobeds or to seal the surgical bay. The Doctor is able to enter and exit through the forcefield. Voyager's Sickbay also has an office for the doctor adjoining the patient area, and a medical laboratory which adjoins the office. There is also a separately located ship's morgue, seen for the first and last time in  [#170 Renaissance Man]. See article: SHIP USS VOYAGER: Detailed Interior Ship's Tour: Sickbay, and Morgue.