sick bays

[jhulse]

This is something I can’t wrap my brain around.
For emergency aid stations up to the larger sick bays, the stated “spaces” make absolutely no sense what so ever.
Has anyone else ever noticed this?
An aid station takes up ½ spaces. That is ½ ton or “one square” 5’-0” x 5’-0”. Yet, it holds two beds etc…
A sickbay is only one space, and the largest medical suites are only 3 spaces.
That makes no sense at all. It is not possible to squeeze that much stuff into such a small area.
On the other hand, T20 requires 8 tons and only has two beds. Holy Cow. That is a room 20’ x 20’! That is WAY too much space for a small “basic”, two bed sick bays.
For GURPS, is there an errata for sick bays and aid stations, or am I misunderstanding “spaces” when it comes to sick bays?
The reason I’m asking this is because I’m creating several deck plans that have EAS’s and Sick bays. The areas designated for deck space just don’t make sense to me.
Thanks for any help.
Jak Naz

 

[Border Reiver]

Try thinking in 3 dimensions, whoever said that the bed was horizontal.

But there does seem to be an error, and of course the poor over-simplified translation of volume into floor space.

I'm going to think about what is really required. Can you post the definitions of each sick bay?

 

[jhulse]

I'm an Architect. I ALWAYS think in three dimensions.
I have several deck plans almost finished including full sections and elevations, complete with scaled figures, that I will post hopefully within a few weeks.

As far as the definitions, it's in GURPS Starships, which is at home.
I really like the fact that there are different levels of aid, and the size of an "aid station" seems appropriate as 1/2 space (approximately 25 square feet of floor space). But it includes two beds, cots, etc... I imagine and aid station as being a bench that a patient can sit or recline on while a medic administer shots, anti-septic sprays, and minor surgery, like stitching up a minor cut. That would be perfect on small merchant/adventure (player sized) ships.
Anyway, I'll try to post the precise description if you don't have access to GURPS Starships.
Jak

 

[Spinward Scout]

An aid station takes up ½ spaces. That is ½ ton or “one square” 5’-0” x 5’-0”. Yet, it holds two beds etc…

How about bunk beds? One above the other. The ceiling is still 10' or so, right? Military berthing (at least enlisted) is bunk bed style. The medical equipment could be built into each bed, be drawers under each bed. But 5' is still small. I wouldn't fit at 6'2"... How about something that folds out? The aid station is that small, but beds fold out of the wall? Just ruminating, here.

 

[Hyphen]

Dear Folks -

For small ships, look at the Serenity deckplans.

 

[Pickles]

Or have a good look around your doctor's consulting room next time you see her (or him) about your knee*. That's how I usually think of a small ship sickbay - a couch/bed thing (with maybe a second emergency pull-out one underneath), computer terminal, and a couple of lockers and bits of equipment.

I don't think upright or bunk-style medical berths would be practical if the doc was actually doing any work on the occupant. An upright low berth for severe cases, maybe.


*Hmm, that choice of medical complaint says something about my age ...

 

[jhulse]

For a small 1/2 ton emergency aid station, I can see one bed folding down, protruding 2 feet or so into a common space or corridor. Part of the "equipment" is also two cots that can be unfolded and place just about anywhere. Other than that I can't see much more room than a small work station for the medic along with some base and wall cabinets for medical supplies. That would mean (in a 5' wide x 5' deep alcove off the corridor) you could have room for a 30" seat/bunk for patients, and a 30" wide workstation/storage cab for the medic. But you can also arrange it so that it's 10' wide and only 30" deep. Basically a row of medical cabinets and work stations, with a fold down bed extending a full 5' or so into a corridor or common room. As long as the 1/2 ton space is filled.

Also, I just went to the doctors office yesterday (really bad sinus infection) and the examination room was exactly 10' x 10'.
(Just a note to everyone. You can count the ceiling tiles of a room to get the dimensions. Ceiling tiles area ALWAYS either 2'x4' or 2'x2')
Anyway, that equates to a two ton (space) room. The exam table/bed was set in the corner at an angle, allowing the doctor access to each side. There was a set of base cabinets with a sink, wall cabinets, two more chairs, plus a medical cupboard attached to the wall. There was still plenty of room to move around. I think that a 2 ton sickbay is adequate for one person. You could squeeze in two exam tables/beds into a space this size, but they would have to be against one side of a wall, meaning doctors could only examine a patient from either the right or left side. Anyway, I just made a house rule for a "basic" sickbay. 2 tons per "bed". Recovery rooms could have two beds per 2 tons (similar to a stateroom) after any exam/operation is done.

Here are the descriptions of GURPS Starships medical facilities.

Emergency Aid Stations
EAS's are designed for use in small ships where a full sick bay is not needed or space is at a premium. TL7 includes 2 bunks and a stretcher. TL8 includes 2 bunks with emergency support units (ESU) and a stretcher. TL9-13 includes 1 automed, 1 diagnosis table, one ESU and 1 stretcher. All stations have a computer terminal and reactor slice to power it.

Sick Bays
Sick bays vary considerably by TL as medical sciences advance. TL7 each module consists of 2 beds, one operating table, and once stretcher. TL 8 is the same as TL 7 but also includes an ESU. TL 9-10 includes the same thing as TL8 but also includes 2 auto meds. TL 11+ includes 3 automeds.

There is a section for military sickbays, but that's too long for me to type right now.

The size chart has the following

EAS = 1/2 ton
SB = 1 ton to 1.5 tons

As you can see, the sizes listed in the back of the book, don't seem to jive with the actual content described in the descriptions.
In T20, it does not go into any detail of what is included, but simply states a sickbay can handle up to 2 patients. A T20 sickbay takes up 8 tons. That's 20' x 10' per person! That seems excessive. But that's just me.
Any thoughts?

Jak Naz

 

[Cyberwere]

My thoughts on this. Is an aid station would be like the tray system in a Stryker. which has room for 4 stretchers or 6 ambulatory.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/iav-mev.htm

Stretcher / bed 2'x6.25' with 2' width of work area for the medic. 4' x 6.25' = 25 sf. In this space you would have two stretchers stacked, equipment above & below. In Traveler I'd think the stretchers would have grav modules and automatic monitoring equipment.

Trying to find some photos of the tray system.

LAN