First French and Indonesian university medical cooperation for promoting emergency medicine

Indonesia and French Guiana share many geographic and medical concerns regarding access to care. The organisational needs in emergency management, particularly in the prehospital phase, are similar. Whereas emergency medicine (EM) is an academic and entire speciality in France, it is still under construction in Indonesia. In the framework of the French and Indonesian academic cooperation, the Medical school in Jakarta University and the French Guiana University in Cayenne signed a Memorandum of Understanding encompassing education programmes, joint research work and students' and health professionals' exchanges in EM. This partnership represented the first medical cooperation programme between the two countries. The first student class was launched in August 2022 and involved 50 Indonesian doctors who graduated in August 2023. The implementation and success of this Franco-Indonesian cooperation were supported by political and academic partners from the two sides. Given the first student class's success, we aim to continue this programme, in line with Indonesia and World Health Organization's plan to establish a multi-country training hub for health emergency operational readiness and Emergency Medical Teams.

Epidemiologic analysis and mortality outcome of firearm injuries in French Guiana (2016-2019)

BACKGROUND

French Guiana (FG) is a French territory located in South America with the highest rate of armed assaults. FG presents a poorly developed road system and a young and precarious population that makes the geographical and socio-demographic characteristics specific. No data concerning the firearm injury management are available in this country. Studying thesis trauma could permit to improve the management of victims. The objective of this study is to investigate the epidemiology of firearm injuries in FG, to define characteristics of the victims, and to assess factors associated with death. These identified factors could enable target primary prevention and intensification of medical management.

METHODS

From January 2016 to December 2019, we conducted a retrospective study at the Cayenne General Hospital (CGH), including all patients admitted for firearm injuries in the emergency department, the medical emergency and resuscitation service, and the forensic service. A bivariate analysis was performed to assess relevant clinical data that were entered into a logistic regression model to assess factors associated with death.

RESULTS

A total of 871 files were analyzed concerning 340 patients included after cross-checking. Victims were mainly males (90%) and young (30 ± 11 years old). The injury occurred mainly at night (60%), in a context of assaults (83%) and with long-barreled guns (82%). Among the 290 patients managed at the CGH, 60% were hospitalized including 12% that were in the intensive care unit, 41% that required surgical treatment, and 7% that died in hospital. The overall average length of stay was 10 ± 18 days. Overall mortality (n = 71, 21%) is statistically associated with male gender (p = 0.007) and suicide context (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the sites of wounds (head and neck, thorax; p < 0.001) as well as induced organ injuries (neurological, respiratory, and vascular; p < 0.005) were independent factors associated to mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

This work underlines the high incidence of ballistic trauma in FG. This mainly involves a young and male population linked to the use of long arms and assaults. Despite the geographical difficulties of the territory and the technical platform deficits (no neurosurgery, no cardiothoracic surgery, no interventional radiology), the mortality is comparable to other studies, but remains more than twice as high as in mainland France. Finally, despite a change in legislation restricting access to firearms, our results show that gunshot firearm injuries remain a major public health concern requiring greater political actions.

[Overview of infectious and non-infectious diseases in French Guiana in 2022]

Source of many myths, French Guiana represents an exceptional territory due to the richness of its biodiversity and the variety of its communities. The only European territory in Amazonia, surrounded by the Brazilian giant and the little-known Suriname, Ariane 6 rockets are launched from Kourou while 50% of the population lives below the poverty line. This paradoxical situation is a source of health problems specific to this territory, whether they be infectious diseases with unknown germs, intoxications or chronic pathologies.Some infectious diseases such as Q fever, toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis or HIV infection are in common with temperate countries, but present specificities leading to sometimes different management and medical reasoning. In addition to these pathologies, many tropical diseases are present in an endemic and / or epidemic mode such as malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, histoplasmosis or dengue. Besides, Amazonian dermatology is extremely varied, ranging from rare but serious pathologies (Buruli ulcer, leprosy) to others which are frequent and benign such as agouti lice (mites of the family Trombiculidae) or papillonitis. Envenomations by wild fauna are not rare, and deserve an appropriate management of the incriminated taxon. Obstetrical, cardiovascular and metabolic cosmopolitan pathologies sometimes take on a particular dimension in French Guiana that must be taken into account in the management of patients. Finally, different types of intoxication are to be known by practitioners, especially due to heavy metals.European-level resources offer diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities that do not exist in the surrounding countries and regions, thus allowing the management of diseases that are not well known elsewhere.Thanks to these same European-level resources, research in Guyana occupies a key place within the Amazon region, despite a smaller population than in the surrounding countries. Thus, certain pathologies such as histoplasmosis of the immunocompromised patient, Amazonian toxoplasmosis or Q fever are hardly described in neighboring countries, probably due to under-diagnosis linked to more limited resources. French Guiana plays a leading role in the study of these diseases.The objective of this overview is to guide health care providers coming to or practicing in French Guiana in their daily practice, but also practitioners taking care of people returning from French Guiana.

Étude épidémiologique des accidents de la voie publique dans une île des Antilles, Marie-Galante

Objectifs : La traumatologie routière représente 13,1 décès pour 105 habitants en Guadeloupe. Marie-Galante (MG), île de l’archipel guadeloupéen, située dans les Antilles françaises, est fortement impactée par l’accidentologie routière. La prise en charge de ces victimes implique des spécificités organisationnelles liées à la géographie et au système de soins. Les objectifs de ce travail sont la description épidémiologique des victimes d’accident de la voie publique (AVP) et l’évaluation de la prise en charge (PEC) médicale initiale des victimes les plus graves.

Méthodes : Étude observationnelle rétrospective de 2016 à 2018 incluant les victimes prises en charge par le service médical d’urgence et de réanimation (Smur) et/ou par le centre hospitalier de Sainte-Marie (CHSM) à Marie-Galante. Les patients ont été répartis par critère de gravité : instables, critiques, potentiellement graves ou stables.

Résultats : Sur la période, 499 victimes ont nécessité une PEC : 164 (33 %) impliquant des véhicules légers, 217 (43 %) des deux-roues motorisés et 60 (12 %) des vélos. La population est jeune (29 [21–49] ans), et masculine (sex-ratio H/F : 3,3). Le CHSM a pris en charge 467 (95 %) victimes, 6 (1 %) étaient instables, 11 (2 %) critiques, 142 (28 %) potentiellement graves et 264 (53 %) stables ; 7 (1 %) ont bénéficié d’un transfert héliporté (TH) direct vers le centre hospitalier universitaire de Guadeloupe (CHUG), 52 (10 %) d’un TH secondaire après une PEC au CHSM. Tous les patients instables et 10 (91 %) des 11 critiques ont été admis au CHUG.

Conclusion : Cette étude souligne la forte incidence de la traumatologie routière à Marie-Galante. Ce travail doit permettre d’élaborer des axes d’amélioration de PEC, notamment par la filiarisation du patient traumatisé.

Ressenti des médecins lors de la prise en charge des urgences vitales dans les centres de santé en Guyane

Introduction : Les urgences vitales sont fréquentes dans les centres de santé isolés guyanais. La population médicale est composée de médecins généralistes avec peu de formation en médecine d’urgence.

Méthodes : Nous avons réalisé une étude descriptive au moyen d’un questionnaire diffusé à l’aide d’une mailing liste de 310 contacts de médecins ayant travaillé dans les centres délocalisés de prévention et de soins (CDPS) depuis les années 2010 à 2019.

Résultats : Nous avons obtenu 90 réponses sur 310 (29 %) et analysé 87 (28 %). La majorité des médecins était des généralistes (72 %) de moins de 40 ans (69 %) sans formation de médecine d’urgence (76 %). Les urgences majoritairement rencontrées étaient les comas et les polytraumatisés ainsi que les urgences gynéco-obstétricales. La majorité des médecins ont rapporté avoir été inconfortables durant ces prises en charge (67 %). La relation avec le service d’aide médicale urgente (Samu) a été jugée majoritairement adaptée (93 %). L’aide apportée par l’équipe paramédicale des CDPS était jugée correcte dans 49 % et excellente dans 48 % des cas. Plus d’un médecin sur cinq (21 %) a déclaré ne pas vouloir renouveler son contrat en CDPS du fait du vécu des urgences vitales. Afin d’améliorer la prise en charge des patients graves, les médecins sont favorables à la présence de fiches réflexes (87 %), à la formation en préaffectation sur mannequin (75 %), à de courtes formations aux déchoquages par des médecins urgentistes (67 %), à des alternatives à l’intubation orotrachéale telles que des dispositifs supraglottiques (68 %) et à l’aide guidée par la télémédecine (30 %).

Conclusion : Ce travail révèle une importante souffrance des médecins face aux difficultés vécues dans la prise en charge des urgences vitales. Afin de répondre aux problématiques soulevées par cette étude, la majorité des mesures d’amélioration évoquées dans ce travail sont en cours de mise en place depuis la fin de l’année 2019.

Case Report: "Killer Bee" Swarm Attacks in French Guiana: The Importance of Prompt Care

In French Guiana, a French overseas region partly located in the Amazon, "Africanized" bees, a hybrid species of Brazilian bees known as "killer bees," have been observed since 1975. Since then, several cases requiring long hospitalization times have been described, allowing for a better understanding of the physiopathological mechanisms of this particular envenomation. Here, we report on a series of 10 cases of patients simultaneously attacked by hundreds of killer bees and immediately treated by a prehospital medical team already on site. Between 75 and 650 stingers were removed per victim. The reference treatment for anaphylaxis using intramuscular injection of epinephrine, vascular filling, and oxygen therapy was administered to all patients without delay. A clinical description was provided, and biological tests were performed immediately after the envenomation. We therefore observe the existence of a two-phase, medically well-controlled systemic toxic reaction. Thus, all our patients left the hospital after 44 hours of monitoring with no complications or sequelae, despite levels of intoxication described as potentially fatal elsewhere in the literature.

Les envenimations vipérines en Guyane française

L’OMS classe l’envenimation vipérine comme pathologie négligée. Elle représente un problème de santé publique associé à des taux de mortalité et de morbidité importants. Notre objectif est de faire une mise au point sur les données récentes de la littérature sur l’épidémiologie et la prise en charge de l’envenimation vipérine en Guyane française. La Guyane est un département français presque entièrement recouvert par une forêt tropicale. Elle abrite une herpétofaune très riche comportant notamment les espèces du genre Bothrops (famille des Viperidae) qui provoquent le plus grand nombre de morsures et d’envenimations. La gestion des envenimations vipérines représente un défi de santé publique. En effet, la plupart des envenimations se produisent dans des zones rurales éloignées où l’accès aux soins est le plus compliqué, avec la présence d’un personnel médical peu formé à la prise en charge et l’indisponibilité de l’antivenin, ce qui constitue une véritable perte de chance pour les patients. En conclusion, dans un contexte d’efforts mondiaux visant à réduire l’impact des envenimations vipérines, la coopération internationale et l’engagement des autorités locales de santé et de la société civile sont nécessaires. En Guyane, la mise en place d’une véritable filière de soins et la mise à disposition de l’antivenin dans les structures sanitaires les plus isolées constitueraient un réel progrès sanitaire.

Work-related stress assessment in an emergency department in French Guiana

BACKGROUND

In emergency departments (EDs), the staff continually face stressful situations requiring staff to adopt various coping strategies.

AIMS

The study aimed to assess work-related stress in ED during the COVID-19 outbreak.

METHOD

The study was a monocentric investigation based on a questionnaire survey that elicits general information and uses the Karasek model to analyse the data.

FINDINGS

A total of 117 forms were collected for analysis. The score for decision latitude (or autonomy and skills at work) was 70 (IQR: 64-74) and the score for psychological demand was 25 (IQR: 23-27). The score for social support by the management team was 11 (IQR: 9-12) and the score for social support by colleagues 12 (IQR: 10-12). Of the total number of respondents, job strain was assessed as affecting 24.8%.

CONCLUSION

The study shows high levels of stress among the ED workforce. The findings indicate that it is imperative to develop simple management tools that are capable of measuring the internal causes of stress in order to develop an adapted wellness programme in ED.

Case Report: Acute Kidney Failure due to Massive Envenomation of a Two-Year-Old Child Caused by Killer Bee Stings

A hybrid species of Brazilian bee has proliferated on the South American continent since 1956. We describe a “killer bee” swarm attack on a 2-year-old girl in French Guiana. The patient weighed 10 kg, and approximately hundreds of bees’ stingers were removed, that is, 10 stings/kg. Our patient survived without long-term sequelae. The management of her condition required admission into intensive care for renal failure due to acute tubular necrosis and severe rhabdomyolysis. We emphasize the importance of early medical intervention, clinical surveillance, and biological monitoring at the hospital to prevent a toxic chain reaction that could prove fatal within 72 hours.