Medical Camp

  • This baby died of Acute Respiratory Multi-Infection (SARS). It is contagious and usually spread quickly but quarantine is difficult due to unhygienic living style. There was no availability of chest radiography nor bronchoscopy. A brief history from grieving mother that the child had fever, trouble breathing, chills and diarrhea, helped me determine that the etiologies were due to multiple pathogens. The combined information was sufficient to know that the baby did not die of hemoptysis. I was at the end of my services and did not have a barrier mask. Fully aware of infection risk, I performed manual mouth to mouth resuscitation, two rescue breaths for every 20 compressions to achieve the internal respiration. The child was pushing up sputum from deep inside the chest. Faced with NO intravenous hydration fluid, I administered an IV hydration of fresh coconut water for thirty minutes due to severe dehydration. Mother was given CD, CD spray, food, clothes and was paid to build a bamboo hut for her. The Intravenous use of coconut water. Article in American Journal of Emergency Medicine 18(1):108-11 · February 2000DOI: 10.1016/S0735-6757(00)90062-7 · Source: PubMed