We found the “R,” sort of
Posted by brianc79 on 21 August, 2008
I’m editing this post to explain the title. In our experience here, we have been lamenting that even though this is Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of research actually being conducted here.
Yesterday at MGMC&RI we finally met someone who was happy to be here and was doing something that resembles research. The Community Health department deals with issues of sanitation, hygiene, and health education, and it seems like they have pretty extensive programs in place.
The AP we talked to was excited to talk about the programs he was involved in, and had been here for (gasp) an entire year with no current plans of leaving.
Today, in typical Med-Peds fashion, Paras, Alicia, and I switched over to the medicine side and rounded in the ICUs with Tim. In the middle of rounds, the door flew open, the Casualty doctor ran in wheeling a young woman who had suffered a snake bite. As we watched her saliva frothing from around her mouth lying there almost unresponsive, Tim wisely wondered if her airway was intact. A bit of coughing with insertion of an OP airway told us that it was. They sent the intern down to the Pharmacy to see if we could get Antivenin. They usually give 10 vials at a few hundred rupees a pop.
Other things:
-Six American adults in one auto-rickshaw is a little cramped
-We ran out of gas on the way home last night. Fortunately there was an open gas station on the way. They had all their sodas lined up along the wall–a glass wall…which I’m sure gets mighty hot in direct sunlight.
-I might actually start enjoying a good cognac here and there.
-Alas, we have our first true GI casualty of the trip. Brooke is currently back at the dorm taking Cipro and Pepto-Bismol.
-no stache for me
kba said
Hope Brooke is ok. Not sure if Pepto-Bismol does anything once one is sick (supposed to prevent travelers diarrhea by preventing adherence of pathogenic bacteria to intestinal mucosa and colonizing the endothelium; not sure it does anything once symptoms occur). Anyway, as the unofficial CIT2 travel medicine doctor…….I am interested in any speculation as to what the culprit food or drink is for this illness.
kikidecker said
I’m ok! Feeling a little better but symptoms continue. So far on my 3rd cipro and moved on to the loperamide… Haven’t really eaten much, so maybe this is a good wt loss plan in time for the fall rock climbing season!
I am not sure what the issue was because the time course is all wrong for the most likely culprits:
Symptoms occurred on day 7 of being in India. On day 1 I had some suspect water from the “water coolers” that we later found out have a high ppm of something. (?fecal colliforms?) On day 6 I had a pina colada that not only tasted awful but after I consumed about 1/4 of it (all I could manage) I realized maybe the fruit juice would be suspect and I shouldn’t order pina coladas in India. On day 5, a more likely time course, I had a milkshake at coffee.com (very trustworthy) and dinner at the promenade french/india buffet (fancy!) – there I drank bottled water and beer, but maybe something on the buffet was iffy. Brian reported some symptoms after that buffet too… Hmmm.
tfernan0 said
It was the Pina Colada she had at dinner. She should have joined the rest of us with a cognac. The alcohol content had to be bacteriocidal. Paras also did not drink the cognac, and now he’s sick. Gopal, Brian, Alicia and I all had the cognac and are fine. Coincidence? Otard Cognac may have to become the offical after dinner drink of CIT2.
kba said
will add advice about Cognac to my travel clinic speil