International Union for Circumpolar Health Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of RF Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Medical Polar Fund “Science” The Northern Forum

Abstracts

Public health

Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) has been continuing the survey with winter-over team since 1956 at Syowa Station (S69, E39, 29m a.s.l.). Between 1956 to 2002, the total of winter-over participants is 1276 with medical consultations of 4826: Surgery and Orthopedics 45.2%, Internal Medicine 22.9%, Dental cases 12.7% followed by Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Psychiatry and Urology. Two doctors take part in the station every year without any co-medical staffs. The Ice Breaker Shirase leaves the station in February and come back in next December. During the ten months, no evacuation nor rescue is possible. This situation makes the telemedicine the significant subject at Antarctic .

The telemedicine has changed with progress of telecommunication system. E-mail (Inmalsat) induced in 1997 makes it possible to send colored fine digital image. Further more we can use Intelsat communication with 128 kbps connection since 2004. The TV conference equipment using internet is installed at the Antarctic station and Japan to make the real time communication face to face.

We started the trial since Feb.2004 and so many problems happened that we finally established the stable communication in August.

The regular telemedicine consultation is performed once a month. Antarctic doctor sends some reports about the patients’ information and images of regions and X-ray photographs to Japan in advance. At first the Japanese doctor asks patients questions directly through the TV. Then the doctor demonstrates physical examinations and therapeutic approaches with the model patient in Japan. Antarctic doctor puts the same into practice. Japanese doctor looks over TV to make collect diagnosis and some advices in real-time.

From Dec.2004 through Jan.2006, the 46th JARE deployed 37 wintering personnel and there were 185 medical cases. Twenty-two cases needed the telemedicine consultations: 17cases 29 times for TV communication: 5cases for email and telephone consultations,

The TV communication is of great advantage to the diagnosis through the medical interview and physical examination, though the image is inferior in quality to the e-mail on. In addition, it is useful for therapeutic management and the medical education as the lecture about lumbago and so on.

Note. Abstracts are published in author's edition

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Last update: 06-Jul-2012 (11:52:05)