Medical problems encountered in French Antarctic missions: the value and methods of selection

Doury, P; Pattin, S

doi:10.1016/b978-0-433-08155-5.50010-8

Cited by 4 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Most publications were mission medical reports ( n = 19) [ 6 , 10–27 ] and retrospective descriptive observational epidemiological studies ( n = 8) [ 28–35 ]. The remainder were case reports ( n = 5) [ 36–40 ] along with a logbook report ( n = 1) [ 41 ], scientific mission report ( n = 1) [ 42 ], and scientific committee workshop ( n = 1) [ 43 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reviewed publications were published between 1958 [ 17 ] and 2020 [ 20 ]. A total of nine countries published data on surgical epidemiology: eight in Japan [ 18 , 21 , 22 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 35 , 43 ], seven in India [ 10 , 11 , 15 , 19 , 30 , 33 , 42 ], six in Australia [ 12 , 13 , 16 , 36 , 38 , 40 ], five in the United Kingdom [ 14 , 24 , 27 , 39 , 41 ], four in the United States [ 17 , 23 , 32 , 34 ], two in Russia [ 25 , 37 ], one in Ukraine [ 28 ], one in the Czech Republic [ 20 ], and one in France [ 6 ]. These publications related to 33 Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations belonging to 12 different countries ( Figure 2 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several publications described their selection strategy for expedition members. Four studies mentioned follow-up medical visits to the general practitioner [ 6 , 30 , 36 , 38 ], surgeon [ 30 ], ophthalmologist [ 6 , 30 ], dentist and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist [ 38 ], stomatologist [ 6 ], or psychological interview [ 18 , 30 , 38 ]. Personal medical and surgical history was also collected [ 6 , 36 , 38 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Four studies mentioned follow-up medical visits to the general practitioner [ 6 , 30 , 36 , 38 ], surgeon [ 30 ], ophthalmologist [ 6 , 30 ], dentist and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist [ 38 ], stomatologist [ 6 ], or psychological interview [ 18 , 30 , 38 ]. Personal medical and surgical history was also collected [ 6 , 36 , 38 ]. Several blood tests were performed such as a complete blood count [ 6 , 30 ], liver test and kidney test [ 30 ], blood sugar [ 6 , 30 ], serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels [ 6 , 30 , 38 ], serology (HBV, syphilis) [ 36 , 38 ], blood group typing [ 6 , 36 ], coagulation test and uric acid assay [ 6 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some Antarctic programs systematically organise the medical screening of every member on their base before departure. This assessment can include dental care, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood tests, and urine samples [ 5 , 6 ], sometimes even going so far as to perform a preventive appendectomy for future physicians [ 7 ]. After their arrival, physicians often work alone on their stations and are sometimes required to perform surgical procedures for which they are not specialists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Surgical epidemiology of Antarctic stations from 1904 to 2022: A scoping review

Tissot¹,

Lecordier²,

Hitier

2023

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

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In Antarctica, it is extremely difficult to organise medical evacuations in winter. Antarctic physicians are often alone and must be prepared to perform surgery and dentistry, even if they are not specialists. This scoping review summarises epidemiological data on the types of surgical procedures performed in Antarctica and identifies gaps in the literature in this area. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar, without language restriction, for papers published between 1 January 1904, and 1 February 2022. Of the 35 papers on 12 Antarctic programs, very few were retrospective observational epidemiological studies; the majority were medical reports. The search identified 41 surgical procedures or reasons for surgical consultation, 19 different reasons for medical evacuations, and 12 causes of death that may have required surgical management. The diagnostic classifications used and the prevalence of each reported surgical speciality were heterogeneous. The most cited specialities were orthopaedics, dentistry, and digestive surgery. Telemedicine was integrated into on-site care or medical evacuation decisions. The current literature is poor, and most studies do not apply to surgical issues. The heterogeneous data collection methodologies limit their interpretation. A standardised diagnostic classification and detailed and systematic epidemiological registers will help define the contours of surgical management in Antarctica.

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