medical stuff

So, I was debating how much vs. how little of the medical stuff to put up on the blog. Both for patient confidentiality/respect (most of the "interesting cases" end up dead or disabled, and I feel awkward about taking the picture...), but also because some readers are friends/family who are not medical folks may not be interested in seeing it. So I've decided to be sparing and clearly label medical stuff posts as such.

Many docs back home said I'd probably see some "crazy sh*t." That's certainly the case. But mostly it's been the solutions, improvised or absent, to the medical issues that have been crazy. For starters, it had been common practice to diagnosis & prescribe, order labs, xrays etc. for a patient, and then have the patient or family pay for all that prior to it being dispensed. Even in emergencies. "Can't afford an appendix or SBO surgery right now? Ok, we'll wait until your relative shows up with the cash..." Even if that's 2-3 days! (of note, surgical emergencies, unlike wine & cheese, do not improve with "aging," though I have found them here to give me migraine headaches...) Luckily, that's improving.

The major burden of disease here is malaria for the younger ones, and trauma for young adults. As indicated by the stats posted earlier, I would not want to take my chances being born (infant mortality) or getting pregnant in Liberia either (though the latter might make for an interesting blog in and of itself...).

Uh-oh, late for morning report. The pictures will have to wait!

Ok, a quick one. Our differential was buruli ulcer (cutaneous mycobacterium) vs. traumatic ulceration of filariasis (elephantiasis) in a Pt later diagnosed with AIDS...