Week 1

Hi Issa blog family!
Week 1 was a very great learning experience. Port Maria was the busiest of the 3 clinics/hospitals.
There were a lot of sick visits during my 2 days at Port Maris, there seems to be a viral illness going around, causing high fevers, uri, and h/a. One boy who was 13yo had h/a, fever and nucchal rigidity on exam and while my gut feeling was that he probably had a viral meningitis, I couldnt be 100% sure so I walked him and his mother over to the ED dept where I was able to draw labs, send off a blood culture, attempt a spinal tap (which was unsuccessful because there were no spinal needles available, I was using 21g angiocaths); but he was admitted and would receive IV ceftriaxone. He will probably be home by the time I go back next week.

Annotto Bay reminds me most of home; Dr Ramos is an excellent Pediatric clinician and functions as a ward attending; he had 2 pediatric residents and I made a 3rd as I pre-rounded on a few patients as well. Once Dr. Ramos arrives we rounded on the patients with him and he does sit down rounds and PIMPs the residents. One case I took care of was an infant with indirect hyperbilirubinemia, likely 2/2 ABO incompatability; he was on phototherapy however I was not able to discern whether he was getting high intensity; one of his treatments was phenobarb, initially i thought is he withdrawing froms drugs because this is a setting i see phenobarb used, but dr. Ramos explained to me that he was on it because phenobarb aids in liver maturation (this baby was 1wk premature as well). That day I also learned to do a femoral arterial stick! The second day is a well baby clinic; most of the infants born at the hospital get seen at 2wks of age; if there is nothing concerning on exam they are d/c from Anotto Bay clinic and f/u at a private doctor or the various health centers in the parish they live in. I saw an infant with ring worm to the forehead and mother's lesion was on the R forearm; so I had to treat both with topical meds; there was another infant with an ear skin tag; where I am being trained we routinely do not get RUS as majority are wnl; however I confirmed what was standard of care with one of the residents and they do routine RUS so I gave the mother a lab slip to get it done when she could (she will be paying out of pocket ~10-20,000 Jamaican dollars).
Lastly coming home to couples resort is a real treat; for the real authentic jamaican food definitely the monday night beach party is where it is. Also personal trainer Alfred is really great and will customize a work out plan for you!
Till next week; I am going to read up on tinea infections and meconium aspiration syndrome.
~K. Godfrey, MD