Surgical training strategies for physicians practicing in an isolated environment: an example from Antarctica. International survey of 13 countries with active winter stations

ABSTRACTFor 60 years, human presence in Antarctica has required particularly demanding medical skills. Nevertheless, the preparation of physicians working in this extreme environment remains unknown and deserves clarification. This study aimed to summarise data on the surgical training given to phys...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Main Authors: Manon Lecordier, Cécile Tissot, Laurent Bonnardot, Martin Hitier
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2023.2236761
https://doaj.org/article/f4684536a7e54f81abc1f828ce35c37b
Description
Summary:ABSTRACTFor 60 years, human presence in Antarctica has required particularly demanding medical skills. Nevertheless, the preparation of physicians working in this extreme environment remains unknown and deserves clarification. This study aimed to summarise data on the surgical training given to physicians by different countries. In April 2020, we conducted a questionnaire-based study of 14 countries wintering in Antarctica. Responses were descriptively analysed. Regarding the profiles of physicians recruited by the wintering countries, 30% to 55% were non-surgeon doctors compared with 45% to 70% for surgeons depending on the year. Of the 13 countries answering the questionnaire, nine organised practical surgical training and six used theoretical material. All countries reported practical training for dental surgery, while only five countries provided training in four other surgical specialities (orthopaedic, digestive, thoracic, and ear, throat, and nose). All 13 countries reported using a telemedicine system. These results revealed heterogeneous training strategies among the recruited physicians, reflecting the difficulties of practice on this extreme continent. Future work may assess the effectiveness of each strategy. A better understanding of surgical epidemiology and a detailed referencing of the equipment available at the bases would help better define the contours of surgical care in Antarctica.