Radio medical advice--the Danish experience

Area of Science:

• Maritime Medicine
• Public Health
• Emergency Medical Services

Background:

• The Danish Radio Medical Advice Service (RMAS) provided remote medical consultations to Danish merchant ships from 1980 to 1993.
• A significant number of acute medical conditions were managed via radio communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the types of medical conditions encountered by RMAS on Danish merchant ships.
• To evaluate the management strategies and outcomes of remote medical consultations.
• To identify areas for improvement in medical training for ship officers.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1136 overseas and 213 territorial water contacts to RMAS between 1980-1993.
• Categorization of diagnoses, interventions (evacuation, medication), and prescribed medicines.
• Statistical analysis to identify trends, including a decrease in psychiatric diagnoses (P=0.01).

Main Results:

• Overseas contacts primarily involved digestive/genitourinary (30%), traumatic lesions (23%), and infectious diseases (14%).
• Evacuation was recommended in 53% of overseas contacts and 79% of territorial water contacts.
• Antibiotics (40%) and analgesics (29%) were the most common medications prescribed; intravenous infusion was deemed relevant in 5% of cases.

Conclusions:

• RMAS effectively managed acute maritime medical emergencies, with a need for enhanced officer training, including intravenous infusion techniques.
• General or orthopedic surgery expertise is recommended for RMAS physicians, with access to all specialties crucial.
• Improved communication methods, potentially including television, could further enhance remote medical support.