Pattern of illness and injury of an Antarctic scientific expedition: retrospective cohort study aboard Rv Xue Long 2
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Antarctic scientific expeditions operate under extreme environmental constraints with severely limited medical evacuation capabilities, yet epidemiological data on expedition personnel remain sparse. This study aims to characterise the disease spectrum and healthcare utilisation patterns during a 208-day Antarctic scientific expedition aboard RV Xue Long 2 and provide evidence-based support for polar healthcare. Retrospective analysis of 586 medical consultations (632 diagnoses) from 206 expedition members aboard RV Xue Long 2 (November 2024–May 2025). Primary diagnoses and affected systems were categorised according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Among 206 personnel (mean age 37.9 ± 9.0 years; 89.8% male), 144 individuals (69.9%) yielded 586 consultation records. Among these individuals, 79.1% required ≤4 visits. Consultations peaked initially (129 encounters/month) after departure. No emergency medical evacuations occurred. Acute upper respiratory infection (12.7%), dermatitis (5.9%) and muscle strain (5.1%) were the predominant diagnoses. Systemically, respiratory (18.0%), digestive (16.6%) and dermatological diseases (15.2%) predominated. Motion sickness and trauma incidence remained modest. The polysystemic morbidity profile reflects the dual stressors of prolonged oceanic isolation and extreme polar environments. These findings mandate expedition-specific medical protocols, mandatory pre-deployment health screening and comprehensive cross-training for shipboard physicians to optimise remote polar healthcare delivery.
Institution: Polar Research Institute of China
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $640
OpenAlex ID: W7148831453