Neonatal Sepsis - Update... Stab Wound To Scalp

The neonate is calmer today after an irritable night that worried the mum so. It's fever was indeed quite high all through the evening and overnight but much less now, thanks to the intravenous antibiotics administered 8-hourly. I've even allowed breastfeeding to start and so far, no vomitting again.

A NEPA staff was attacked by thieves on his way back from work. His bleeding scalp laceration - he was stabbed on the head - was promptly sutured by Dr. Nsisi who also ordered 1 pint of whole blood for transfusion - Dr Nsisi wasn't taking any chances as the amount of blood-loss before arrival remained undeterminable; the patient already feeling thirsty and faint.

Now, this man could have bled to death. His shirt was all crimson in front and a vein was continuosly spouting blood, I observed, the moment I entered the emergency room before Dr. Nsisi's arrival. Whereas the wound, though deep, wasn't large in area and so simple pressure over the gushing wound before arrival would have prevented much blood loss.

Comments

  1. starJuly 22, 2010 at 7:28 PM

    imagine,cos of a simple procedure,people lose their lives daily, thanks for the info, rily educative, now i kno better.hop ur today went well...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Say something... Anything!... I'll shout right back at you inside 24 hours.

Popular posts from this blog

Vanishing Testes... Uterine Evacuation

I was mad with the father of a 10-year old whose child proved to have both his scrotal sacs empty - a case of bilateral Congenital Undescended Testes. The point is both parents had known for years the condition and were hoping against all hope that one day the testes would appear, never once thinking to seek medical advice. The poor young chap would have to visit the Paediatrics Surgeon soon. I'm just back from the labour room where I had to evacuate the womb of this married lady who began to bleed just a week after finding out she was in early pregnancy; she being childless till date - she's had a couple of miscarriages in the recent past and a scan today proved once again the same matter of a miscarriage with some products of pregnancy retained, hence the needed evacuation. She'll need to see the Gynaecologist for a thorough check, the poor woman.
Read more

Sudden Unconsciousness - No Head Scans Available

You know when a medical emergency has arrived when the noise of several heavy, clumsy feet grow louder and louder towards you. So it was, as I sat in my consulting room three days ago, when this young man was rushed in semi-conscious. The accompanying elder sister calmly narrated how they had both eaten lunch at home before setting out on their journey to a popular open market quite close to the hospital where I work - when he began complaining of feeling ill; later leaning over on a stall just before passing-out on the ground. He was "drowsy" but rousable when I called out his name. I pondered what the diagnosis could be as the nurse gave the steroid (Hydrocortisone 200mg) shot through the i.v. line secured - no recent fever or complaints of ill-health whatsoever nor was there any history of Seizure Disorders. Then the fact came forward that he fell backward and hit his head while shooting basket ball hoops at home - but that was four days ago and he then didn't appear h...
Read more

Hypoglycaemic Coma

Unfortunately, 14 hours had elapsed before one Mr Nwokocha was brought to us deeply unconscious. A known Type 1 Diabetic , he had usually injected himself daily with Insulin - the hormone that his body lacked in the right configuration, making him unable to properly utilize blood glucose. He had given himself the usual Insulin shot the morning of the previous day. Apparently he then must have gone into low blood sugar mode; his brain suffering the lack of glucose thereof, he then slipping off into an unconscious state. Unfortunately he was home alone. Eventually a neighbour managed, somehow, to find the poor man deeply unconscious the next morning. He still appears in a vegetative state, even now. His blood sugar count was very down indeed, a fast check showed, and of course he was infused with hypertonic glucose infusions, amongst other measures done to carefully bring him round. I'm afraid he already may have suffered irreversible brain tissue damage. I told this to his ...
Read more