End of Second Week

It's hard to believe that our Costa Rica time approaching its mid-point; that is, until we look at what the students have worked through to date.  Over the last few days, we have reviewed neurologic emergencies, diabetes and anaphylaxis.  Today began with a tour through things that bite, sting and otherwise cause skin irritations, at the end of which everyone was scratching and generally feeling like hiding.  To improve spirits, we headed back down to the waterfall for an afternoon of extended scenarios. Students found patients floating in the water and had to safely extricate them to shore, set up emergency shelters and plan for the night out.   Moving an unresponsive adult out of a deep river and carrying them over slippery rocks is incredibly challenging on its own.  Add to this the need to protect the patient's spine from movement  and your own feet from the environment, and this becomes an ever-more challenging exercise.  The keys to success are clear communication and leadership.  We practice this every day, adding and refining skills, preparing our students to provide care in any environment.