Haitian Relief Strike Team Port Au Prince, Haiti

" First off I would like to say thank you for your donation of the Intubrite Intubation Handles, Blades and Stylette's. My initial call to go to Haiti was only 10 days prior to departure. The team I travelled with was new to me and I was unsure of the medical qualifications of my teammates. I immediately email a dozen vendors for donation of equipment that would increase my effectiveness in austere conditions. I only could imagine what I was going to experience when I landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

From the first 5 minutes through the door of Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti the action begun. Myself and our team Doctor were rushed to the operating room to help with a emergency c-section and take care of the 30 week premature baby that was imminently delivering. In the U.S. this delivery would have a team of Neonatal specialists and 50 people to ensure the babies' well-being but not in Haiti. Just a few brave E.R. nurses a Critical Care Adult Doctor and me a Team Paramedic!

Throughout the week I had deployed a intubation set in the Operating Room and gave the Anesthesia folks a run down and I kept a set for myself in a Tactical Pouch on my belt at all times. I had my favorite blade Mac 4 and a Miller 00 and a few E.T. tubes in this pouch. Some folks thought it may be a little overboard but I wanted to have my Airway, Breathing and Circulation equipment close for immediate use if the need presented itself. And it did. I transported the 30 week old premie to a different hospital 45 miles away and upon arrival of the Neonatal unit the Volunteering Doctor was in the midst of a difficult pediatric intubation. He asked if I was good at intubation and if I could help. I quickly responded and opened my kit grabbed a handle and my Miller 00 blade and proceeded to intubate the patient with the help of the Physician. The Doctors were amazed at the Intubtrite handle and blade! These are world famous Neonatologists from Italy! Of course they wanted me to donate this equipment to them but I couldn't let go of the one I had to a different Hospital. I wanted to donate it to our hosting facility first. I did get their names and email addresses. Unfortunately for this intubation I didn't get any pictures.

The second opportunity for me was a 38 year Haitian man that presented with pain in his right leg for 24 hours. We had determined that the patient had a very aggressive spreading infection in his muscles and would need an amputation and multiple I.V. antibiotics. With the prior arrangement in the operating room to use the Intubrite gear. We prepared the patient for surgery, I was ready. The Anesthesiologist put our patient to sleep and I proceeded to intubate him for the long road ahead. We had a portable ventilator ready for the patient post-operative. Our team headed by Dr. David Alan Marks went to work immediately to aggressively attack the infection that had spread to this man's whole body. We worked for several hours to combat the sepsis and shock. We knew the infection got the upper hand. The patient passed away that night despite our best efforts. Throughout the rest of the week the Intubrite gear was the first line equipment everyone wanted to use and even though there was other laryngoscopes near by Intubrite was the preferred equipment of choice.

Thank you again for being compassionate and donating the gear. It has found a happy home in the E.R. and O.R. of the Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti." 

Sincerely,
Jordan Owen, Captain EMT-P
Bass Lake Fire Department