» Articles » PMID: 37476913

Surgical Epidemiology of Antarctic Stations from 1904 to 2022: A Scoping Review

Overview
Date 2023 Jul 21
PMID 37476913
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

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.

References
1.
Rogozov V, Bermel N . Auto-appendectomy in the Antarctic: case report. BMJ. 2009; 339:b4965. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.b4965. View

2.
Ikeda A, Ohno G, Otani S, Watanabe K, Imura S . Disease and injury statistics of Japanese Antarctic research expeditions during the wintering period: evaluation of 6837 cases in the 1st-56th parties - Antarctic health report in 1956-2016. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2019; 78(1):1611327. PMC: 6493307. DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2019.1611327. View

3.
Wilkinson D . The History of Anesthesia in Antarctica. Int Anesthesiol Clin. 2018; 56(2):19-33. DOI: 10.1097/AIA.0000000000000185. View

4.
Ohno G, Watanabe K, Okada Y, Higuchi K . Practical experience of telehealth between an Antarctic station and Japan. J Telemed Telecare. 2012; 18(8):473-5. DOI: 10.1258/jtt.2012.gth111. View

5.
HEDBLOM E . The medical problems encountered in Antarctica. Mil Med. 1961; 126:818-24. View