d="sp0035">Clinic data from 3 Antarctic locations (McMurdo Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and Palmer Station) for the 2013−2014 Antarctic year were reviewed for patient encounter frequency by season, and provider-assigned visit diagnostic category. Differences between relative diagnosis frequencies among stations were analyzed, and per-capita clinic utilization was compared.
d="sp0040">The McMurdo clinic recorded 1555 patient encounters, with South Pole Station reporting 744 and Palmer with 128 encounters over the year. The most frequent reasons for clinic visits were orthopedic and dermatologic, with increased visits at McMurdo for respiratory illness and at the more remote locations for neurologic complaints and insomnia. Altitude-related visits were reported only at McMurdo and South Pole stations.
d="sp0045">The clinic volume predictably correlated with station population. Insomnia and headache complaints, reported only at the South Pole Station, are likely associated with the increased elevation at that site, although they could be attributable to psychological stress from the isolated environment. Although the majority of cases could not be prevented with current screening, we suggest several changes to the current concept of operations that may decrease medical utilization and provide significant improvements to health care delivery on the ice.