BACKGROUND French military operations in the Sahel conducted since 2013 over more than 5 million square kilometers have challenged the French Military Health Service with specific problems in prolonged field care. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS To describe these challenges, we retrospectively analyzed the prehospital data from the first 5 years of these operations within a delimited area. RESULTS One hundred eighty‐three servicemen of different nationalities were evacuated, mainly as a result of explosions (73.2%) or gunshots (21.9%). Their mean number evacuation was 2.2 (minimum, 1; maximum, 8) per medical evacuation with a direct evacuation from the field to a Role 2 medical treatment facility (MTF) for 62% of them. For the highest‐priority casualties (N = 46), the median time [interquartile range] from injury to a Role 2 MTF was 130 minutes [70 minutes to 252 minutes], exceeding 120 minutes in 57% of cases and 240 minutes in 26%. The most frequent out‐of‐hospital medical interventions were external hemostasis, airway and hemopneumothorax management, hypotensive resuscitation, analgesia, immobilization, and antibiotic administration. Prehospital transfusion (RBCs and/or lyophilized plasma) was started three times in the field, two times during helicopter medical evacuation, and five times in tactical fixed wing medical aircraft. Lyophilized plasma was confirmed to be particularly suitable in these settings. One of the specific issues involved in lengthy prehospital time was the importance to reassess and convert tourniquets prior to Role 2 MTF admission. CONCLUSION Main challenges identified include reducing evacuation times as much as possible, preserving ground deployment of sufficiently trained medics and medical teams, optimization of transfusion strategies, and strengthening specific prolonged field care equipment and training.

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BackgroundMalaria is a public health concern in the French armed forces, with 400–800 cases reported every year and three deaths in the past 2 years. However, lack of chemoprophylaxis (CP) compliance is often reported among service members. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with CP compliance.MethodsA retrospective study (1296 service members) was carried out among troops deployed in Central African Republic. Determinants of CP were collected by self-questionnaire. Socio-demographic variables, behavioural characteristics, belief variables, operational determinants such as troops in contact (TIC) and number of nights worked per week and peer-to-peer reinforcement were studied. Relationships between covariates and compliance were explored using logistic regressions (outcome: compliance as a dummy variable).ResultsChemoprophylaxis compliance was associated with other individual preventive measures against mosquito bites (bed net use, OR (odds ratio) = 1.41 (95 % CI [1.08–1.84]), and insecticide on clothing, OR = 1.90 ([1.43–2.51]) and malaria-related behaviours (taking chemoprophylaxis at the same time every day, OR = 2.37 ([1.17–4.78]) and taking chemoprophylaxis with food, OR = 1.45 ([1.11–1.89])). High perceived risk of contracting malaria, OR = 1.59 ([1.02–2.50]), positive perception of CP effectiveness, OR = 1.62 ([1.09–2.40]) and the practice of peer-to-peer reinforcement, OR = 1.38 ([1.05–1.82]) were also associated with better compliance. No association was found with TIC and number of nights worked.ConclusionsThis study, which shows a positive relationship between peer-to-peer reinforcement and CP compliance, also suggests the existence of two main personality profiles among service members: those who seek risks and those who are health-conscious. Health education should be expanded beyond knowledge, know-how and motivational factors by using a comprehensive approach based on identification of health determinants, development of psychosocial skills and peer-to-peer reinforcement.

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