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Introduction: The treatment of osteoarticular infections in Africa is a medical and surgical challenge due to the difficulties in managing antibiotic therapy after the surgical procedure. The objectives of this study were to identify the types of bacteria in osteoarticular lesions in patients treated in Chad and to determine the spectrum of resistance encountered and the efficacy of available antibiotics., Material and Methods: This is a retrospective study of all intraoperative osteoarticular and soft tissue samples taken in a French Role 2 Medical Treatment Facility of N'Djamena during surgery for chronic osteoarticular infections, in Chad, for 1 year., Results: A total of 160 bacterial strains were identified, with a predominance of Gram-negative bacillus (GNB) and staphylococcus infections. Among staphylococci, 80% were methicillin-sensitive streptococci which were generally multidrug-sensitive. Enterococci were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, first-generation fluoroquinolones and gentamycin. Among GNB, there was a predominance of enterobacteria compared with non-fermenting GNB, of which 52% were multidrug-resistant and produced extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)., Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus infections are most often sensitive to available antibiotics and therefore have better prognoses than infections caused by other bacteria. In contrast, in half of the cases of GNB, infections were caused by bacteria producing ESBL, thus posing the problem of multidrug-resistance, the risks of which are increased in precarious situations. Therefore, the type of bacteria appears to be a major prognostic factor in the treatment of osteoarticular infections in a Role 2 in Chad. This criterion will need to be considered before any treatment decisions are made., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Military surgery requires skills that in general cannot be easily learnt in civilian training. Participation in a fellowship abroad adapted to the particular operating conditions of the foreign deployment is one route that might secure the necessary supplementary training. We therefore assessed the relevance of such a fellowship in the preparedness of young military surgeons in their first deployment., Methods: This study included all active military surgeons who had completed a fellowship abroad during their initial training from 2004 to 2017 in Tchad or Senegal or Djibouti. The collection of data was performed using a questionnaire. The main judgement criterion was the rate of positive answers awarded to the relevance of this fellowship in the preparedness of respondents' first foreign deployment., Results: Sixty-nine of 73 surgeons answered. Sixty-one estimated the fellowship had allowed them to feel more operational during their first mission, with 83.61% rating this feeling as important. Also, 61 recommended the use of a fellowship for war surgery training. The grade assigned to the surgical benefit was 8.48/10., Conclusion: A fellowship abroad permits one to become familiar with surgical practice under austere circumstances and the particularities of the surgical structures at the front. Current trainees' feedback confirms its relevance., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)