Update from the Barrio Clinics 1/31/2011-2/3/2011

We had a great week in the Barrio clinics.  We saw 366 patients, in addition to another 200 children or so that were briefly seen and given parasite treatment with Albendazole.  Our team included folks from Northwoods in Peoria, as well as Ingrid Watkins, MD from Rochester, NY, Victor Perdomo, the Dominican doctor, and a great team of translators organized by Juan Ernesto.  We tried to determine when we arrived at each of the campo (countryside) sites who the sickest patients were such that we could be sure to see them, as MANY people wanted to be seen every day for gripe (URI) and dolor (pain) and we really wanted to make sure the sickest were all seen.  We did multiple joint injections, drained a HUGE breast abscess, and did some other small procedures in the clinics, as well as rx'ing many meds for hypertension, pain, URIs, headaches, etc. 

Starting on Tuesday I asked Juan Ernesto to ask the people in the pueblo if there were ill patients that could not make it to the schools (where we set up the clinic daily) and 2 days a few of us accompanied a person from the pueblo who brought us to older, more frail patients' homes and sometimes to the homes of quite ill people.  One day on a home visit, I encountered a 72 yo man who had had an AKA 12 days prior, who had a large wound dehiscence and infection, and we brought him back to San Juan with us on the bus and the surgeon who was with us (my husband) revised his AKA.  2 days later we brought him back to his home in the pueblo and he was feeling much better and seemed quite a bit stronger.  Dr.. Perdomo is going to be checking on him weekly.  The patient and his family were very grateful for our care. 

Each night we packed up the pharmacy box for the next day, which took some time, but was well worth it to have everything organized for the next AM.  There are meds/supplies that are needed for the barrio clinics, which include:
Lisinopril
yeast vaginitis treatment
Children's Vitamins (MANY MANY ARE NEEDED)
Lotrisone cream
Phenergan (po and/or supp)
Amolidipine
Terazosin or Doxazosin (we saw many men with BPH sxs and had no meds for BPH)
Kenalog or Depo Medrol for joint injections
Lidocaine or Marcane for joint injections and for local anesthesia for abscess drainage, etc.
syringes for joint injections
gauze (4x4s or larger)
paper tape and bandage tape
disposable scalpels
ear curettes and Debrox
BRING and otoscope and opthalmoscope if possible

Things that are NOT needed currently:
bandaids
expensive samples of BP meds
expensive samples of any  meds

Nicole, the RN who is here from Dec 2010-April 2011 is very knowledgable about what is and is not needed, and she can be contacted through the guest house.  She is great and very helpful. 

It is a fascinating and very rewarding experience!  I can't wait to come back again next year.  Feel free to contact me via email or phone with any questions.

And THANK YOU to all the wonderful people with whom I got to spend this week.  It was such a privilege and a pleasure to work with and get to know all of you.  Lastly, I'd like to thank Shannon and Joe and all the others who were on this trip for putting up with our sons (who are 5 and 9) and my niece (13) who acted as our nanny for the week.  We could not have come down to the D.R. without bringing our kids and this was such a wonderful experience for them as well.  You are all such loving, amazing people.  And a very special thanks to Steve Shaffer from Northwoods, and to Sandy Nofziger for their help in setting us up to join the Northwoods group this week.  We hope to come down next year with your group again!

Ingrid Watkins
Rochester, NY
ingrid_watkins@urmc.rochester.edu
(585) 709-9176