Management of a polytrauma in the maritime environment.
BACKGROUND
A polytraumatised person is a severely injured patient with an association of several injuries including at least one life-threatening. In an isolated and hostile environment like the maritime environment, the principles of early care and fast evacuation of a polytraumatised person are sometimes difficult to apply.


CLINICAL CASE
We report the story of a patient with a bilateral fracture of the lower extremities following an accident on board a Moldavian tugboat off the coasts of Djibouti. He received a medical treatment thanks to the intervention of a French military frigate after receiving a message of assistance by very high frequency, and then a helicopter evacuation to the Medicine and Surgery "Bouffard" Hospital. The pre-hospital care of a polytraumatised patients with limb injuries and the specificities of an intervention in a maritime environment are described. The maritime international conventions relating to rescue at sea as well as the specificities of the management of an injured person on a ship sailing under the Moldavian flag are explained. Emphasis is placed on the importance of watchkeeping at sea and the presence on board of trained first-aid personnel. Finally, a point is made on the French organisation of health support for ships, through the Maritime Medical Consultation Centre and the Regional Operational Centres for Surveillance and Rescue.


CONCLUSIONS
This case illustrates that the solidarity of the seafarers allows a seriously wounded person to maintain, despite a degraded and isolated situation, the chances of successful management and preserve the functional prognosis.
['Montocchio-Buadès|Cécile|C|', 'Daurat|Maëlle|M|', 'Ducombs|Macha|M|', 'Vallet|Charles-Edouard|CE|']
D000328:Adult D000401:Aircraft D004632:Emergency Medical Services D005597:Fractures, Open D006801:Humans D007391:International Cooperation D008297:Male D008966:Moldova D009104:Multiple Trauma D009326:Naval Medicine D012767:Ships D013978:Tibial Fractures
polytrauma Search and Rescue maritime conventions