Teleconsultation at Sea and Acute Wound Management Onboard

Introduction:The French Tele-Medical Assistance Service (TMAS) provides medical teleconsultation for any ship at sea. At the end of the consultation, the doctor decides whether the problem can be taken care of onboard or not. In this study, we determined the factors associated with the decision for disembarkation or evacuation in case of wounds.

Methods:We conducted a retrospective epidemiological study between 2011 and 2019 from consultations with the French TMAS. The inclusion criterion was the presence of an acute wound.

Results:One thousand six patients (n = 1,006) were analyzed and 586 (58%) patients were disembarked or evacuated. Factors associated with disembarkation or evacuation are wound characteristics (severity and location), the onboard staff’s medical training, the availability of photography, and the ship’s location. Wound severity is a risk factor for disembarkation or evacuation. The availability of photography, staff with advanced training, and being at >1 day of navigation from a harbor are protective factors against being disembarked or evacuated.

Conclusion:The added value of photography and an update of medium medical training could increase the number of wounds taken care of onboard.