Night life...

The last week or two have been very busy medically with some extremely sick patients coming and a lot of broken nights being called in to help.

Often patients present very late and on the edge of death.  Some tip over the edge, others are resuscitated.

Here is an example of a technique called intra-osseus infusion that we use in shocked children if it is hard to find a suitable vein for a drip.  The needle goes in to the marrow cavity of the tibia and works very well allowing both fluids and medicines and even blood transfusions to be administered.

 The commonest reason for needing such interventions are patients with gastroenteritis who have lost a lot of fluid or those who are shocked due to anaemia such as that caused by malaria.

Other cases include serious infections such as septicaemia or meningitis.

 Later as this patient improved we were able to site an intra-venous line in the external jugular vein and remove the intra-osseus line.

You may smile at the artwork with the strapping adhesive tape - this is due to the tape not always being very good quality hence a large amount has been applied in the hope the line will remain secure and functional.

wood fires in children's ward kitchen area

In Kisiizi patients have attendants to care for their domestic needs such as food, washing etc.  Even at night, the mums are still cooking on wood fires to prepare food.

It is not always with the greatest of joy that we answer the phone for calls to the ward at night but  one of the rewards can be coming back and enjoying the stars and planets and sometimes the dawn...

Kisiizi dawn with the moon and planet Venus the morning star