Peruvian Hospitals

My emergency room suturing! This 18 year old guy was assaulted in order to rob his motorcycle, and in the process he found himself stabbede 5 times in the back and once over the liver. As they need hands in the ER, I do a lot of suturing! Sunday night was a war zone!!!


This señor had a traffic accident (I´m not sure exactly what, as no one seemed to understand well). He entered the ER with gray matter hanging out, a shatter cranium, a broken patella, shattered right lower leg, and internal hemorrhage (undetermined at the time with the bare essentials of diagnostic apparatus at their alcance). He kept desatting down into the low 70s and I´m not sure he will survive. Honestly, I´m not sure how anyone survives the traffic down here... it´s chaotic and whatever rules there are, they aren´t followed to my knowledge!!


Dr. Juan is a family doc of 10 years who is just now going back for his residency in pediatrics. I spend as much time by his side as I can, as he has the most love for these children out of everyone I´ve met thus far! Plus, he loves to teach ;)


Half of my host family... they´re amazing!!!!!! I´m just missing my host mom, Diana (the FIMRC director here in Trujillo) & her baby, Mònica (the other sister), and their husbands.... we have quite the houseful!


Random chicken head in the road... I thought someone might appreciate that!! ;)



Here´s Janina, a 21 year old girl about to have her first baby! She´d been 1cm dilated for the past week, was having 2 contractions every 10 minutes, but wasn´t progressing. We spent 2 hours talking while we started the induction with oxytocin and when I went by later that night she still hadn´t dilated!! My guess is they did a cesarian, but unfortunately no one seems to know & I may never find out! She was amazing!!


Here`s the neurosurgery team after just having put in 2 CSF drains (including 2 peruvian medical students)! There`s nothing like watching someone drill through another`s head.....


Here`s a little girl with hydrocephalus. She`s been in inpatient peds for over 3 months as her mom put together money to return for her. In the parents` absence, the hospital put out requests on the radio for help taking care of her, so the community is currently providing her with diapers and food. Hospitals down here have to stock of supplies. People that need treatment must first get a family member to go buy their supplies. In the ER that can waste previous time.


CT of the girl with hydrocephalus. I´ve seen many of these images in my week here. It would be interesting to find out why the incidence is so high here.


Finally, another mom caring for her child with hydrocephalus.