Abstract
BackgroundMilitary anesthesia meets unique logistical, technical, tactical, and human constraints, but to date limited data have been published on anesthesia management during military operations.ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe and analyze French anesthetic activity in a deployed military setting.MethodsBetween October 2015 and February 2018, all patients managed by Sainte-Anne Military Hospital anesthesiologists deployed in mission were included. Anesthesia management was described and compared with the same surgical procedures in France performed by the same anesthesia team (hernia repair, lower and upper limb surgeries). Demographics, type of surgical procedure, and surgical activity were also described. The primary endpoint was to describe anesthesia management during the deployment of forward surgical teams (FST). The secondary endpoint was to compare anesthesia modalities during FST deployment with those usually used in a military teaching hospital.ResultsDuring the study period, 1547 instances of anesthesia were performed by 11 anesthesiologists during 20 missions, totaling 1237 days of deployment in nine different theaters. The majority consisted of regional anesthesia, alone (43.5%) or associated with general anesthesia (21%). Compared with France, there was a statistically significant increase in the use of regional anesthesia in hernia repair, lower and upper limb surgeries during deployment. The majority of patients were civilians as part of medical support to populations.ConclusionIn the context of an austere environment, the use of regional anesthesia techniques predominated when possible. These results show that the training of military anesthetists must be complete, including anesthesia, intensive care, pediatrics, and regional anesthesia.
Highlights
The French Army Health Service, a part of the French Armed Forces, ensures medical support of military personnel engaged in operations
1547 instances of anesthesia were performed by 11 anesthesiologists during 20 missions, totaling 1237 days of deployment in nine different theaters
The majority consisted of regional anesthesia, alone (43.5%) or associated with general anesthesia (21%)
Summary
The French Army Health Service, a part of the French Armed Forces, ensures medical support of military personnel engaged in operations. Part of this mission includes the deployment of forward surgical teams. Their mission includes French soldiers, allies, and medical support to the populations (MSP) [1,2]. Medical support is primarily given to military forces, the deployment of adequate means to cover most eventualities frequently leads to spare capacity to administer medical care to local populations [2]. All of these publications focus on the types of surgeries performed and the characteristics of the population, very few publications focus on anesthesia management [18,19]
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