Author: EMKF

Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation (EMKF) is a not-for-profit (NGO) public benefit organisation registered in Kenya

How emergency response failed Baby Travis in his hour of need

EMKF
Travis Maina died at the Kenyatta National Hospital on October 11, 2022, after being hit with a fork jembe in Ndula village, Thika East Kiambu.

Unfortunately, these cases were purely about poor responses to medical emergencies. The emergency was not what the child presented with, but the need for initial resuscitation and ensuring the patient is comfortable, meaning they are not in pain, even though the theatre was not available. 

Hands-Only CPR – Videos

EMKF

On October 16th, the world is once again coming together to celebrate World Restart a Heart Day. It is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of bystander CPR. We at EMKF invite you to be part of this global campaign! Join us and our global partners in sharing a crucial message: Anyone can do basic CPR and that if done within the first minutes of a cardiac arrest, it double someone’s chances of survival.

If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, hands-only CPR is the recommended form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It not only increases the likelihood of surviving breathing and cardiac emergencies that occur outside of medical settings, but it’s simple to learn and easy to remember.

Click ≡ to see all the videos in the series

CT before LP?

EMKF
  • If you think CT will show a cause for the headache, do a CT
  • If a CT is indicated for other reasons (depressed conscious level, focal neurology), do a CT
  • If a GCS 15 patient is to undergo LP for suspected (or to rule out) meningitis, and they have a normal neurological exam (including fundi), and are not elderly or immunosuppressed, there is no need to do a CT first.
  • If you’re seriously worried about meningitis and are intent on getting a CT prior to LP, don’t let the imaging delay antimicrobial therapy.

Rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins: WHO position

EMKF

PEP consists of the following steps:

  1. All bite wounds and scratches should be attended to as soon as possible after the exposure; thorough washing and flushing of the wound for approximately 15 minutes, with soap or detergent and copious
    amounts of water, is required. Where available, an iodine-containing, or similarly viricidal, topical
    preparation should be applied to the wound.
  2. RIG should be administered for severe category III exposures. Wounds that require suturing should be
    sutured loosely and only after RIG infiltration into the wound.
  3. A series of rabies vaccine injections should be administered promptly after an exposure.