Given GPS coordinates, students gathered their hasty-packs for their epic, late-night jungle scenario. Their four patients received outstanding care: one abdominal injury complete with impaled knife; one compound femur fracture; one pelvic fracture and head injury; and one sucking chest wound. As the scenario wore on, it became clear that the group would not be able to get all these critical patients out of the depths of the river bottom before dark. The students performed two outstanding patient carries on improvised litters through the river, in the dark, using the light of their headlamps and excellent leadership and communication. We called a halt to the scenario after all patients were stabilized and readied for a night out. Kudos to this fine group of hardworking students!!
Today, students spent the morning preparing for an afternoon of teaching the local high school students a series of first aid skills. Thanks to excellent planning on the part of our students, the efforts of our translators and some excellent Spanish speaking skills within our own student group, the local estudiantes learned how to control serious bleeding and clean & dress wounds; how to splint forearm and ankle fractures; how to construct an improvised litter and safely move an injured person on a litter; and how to clear an obstructed airway and perform cpr on both infants and adults.
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