The French mobile neurosurgical unit.
The authors present the French concept of a mobile neurosurgical unit (MNSU) as used to provide specific support to remote military medicosurgical units deployed in Africa, South America, Central Europe, and Afghanistan. From 2001 to 2009, 15 missions were performed, for 16 patients. All but 3 of these missions (those in Kosovo, French Guyana, and Afghanistan) concerned Africa. Eleven patients were French soldiers, 3 were civilians, and 2 were Djiboutian soldiers. The conditions that MNSUs were requested for included craniocerebral wounds (2 cases), closed head trauma (7 cases), spinal trauma (5 cases), and spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (2 cases). In 5 of the 16 cases, neurosurgical treatment was provided on site. All French soldiers and 2 civilians were evacuated to France. The MNSU can be deployed for timely treatment when some delay in neurosurgical management is acceptable.
Dulou
Renaud
R
Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées du Val-de-Grâce, Paris, France. renaud.dulou@gmail.com
Dagain
Arnaud
A
Delmas
Jean-Marc
JM
Lambert
Evelyne
E
Blondet
Eric
E
Goasguen
Olivier
O
Pouit
Bruno
B
Dutertre
Guillaume
G
de Soultrait
François
F
Pernot
Philippe
P
D000328:Adult; D000552:Ambulances / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000601:surgery; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014857:Warfare