Today Dr. David Brumwell and Cyril
Thomas, PA, started the morning with patient assessments. They picked a
volunteer from the students. They sat the student on the examination table, and
questioned him about his “illness”, using the experience to teach all of the
students how to ask the proper questions to reach a correct diagnosis. They
also taught the students how to document patient cases and do physical
examinations. Dr. Brumwell told the students “It’s always good to listen to a
patient’s heart. That way you know what normal feels or sounds like. Then you
will know what abnormal feels or sounds like.” The students learned about needle
safety, as well as how to draw and calculate the proper amount of medication.
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| Rick teaching about needle safety |
They also learned how to find the correct place to administer an injection. Each
student practiced their technique on an orange.
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| Cyril guiding the student's hand |
Giving injections was such an
exciting topic that the kitchen staff joined in, and even the chef practiced
injecting an orange!
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| One of the cooks injecting an orange |
Later in the afternoon, all of the
doctors and nurses reviewed the morning’s material. Then the students practiced
administering injections on each other in groups; this served as a teaching experience
as well as an opportunity to receive protection against tetanus for those who
wanted it. Ten of the twenty-one students had never had a tetanus shot and eight of them
had not had a buster in over ten years. Tetanus is a nightmarish disease if you get
it and usually deadly. There is evidence that even one tetanus injection is enough
to protect someone. If you get tetanus, it slowly causes the muscle in the body
to spasm until you get lockjaw, your muscle spasm to the point of breaking your
own ribs and you slowly suffocate. The instructors went on to explain needle gauges,
how to identify them and which size is appropriate for different situations.
We also had the opportunity to
teach them about motorcycle safety and helmets. Cyril, his son Peter, and Dr.
Brumwell performed a dramatic skit about a motorcycle crash that caused brain
damage and loss of consciousness. 
The students learned the steps of triage
examination, how to stabilize the neck, and how to identify brain damage. The
instructors explained that brain injuries due to motorcycle accidents can
usually be prevented by wearing a helmet. This concept was illustrated by dropping
two watermelons on the ground. One melon was protected in a helmet, and one was
not. The one in the helmet survived unscathed, but the unprotected melon made
splattered all over the floor; the students gasped with surprise. Cyril pushed
through the crowd as if to “save” the melon after it splattered, but instead
picked up a piece of the “brain” and revisited the idea of helmets for
prevention.
Rick, Alice, and Lindsey
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| Helmet safety demonstration |
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| The unfortunate melon that was dropped without a helmet |
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