Medical Airmen save infant's life

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. J. LaVoie
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Medics here recently saved the life of a local 3-month-old infant suffering from severe infection.

The child’s father brought him to a forward-operating base where officials arranged for the baby to be brought here for care.

Though the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron’s Airmen do not routinely care for civilians, much less infants, an exception was made because of the immediacy of care needed in this case.

“The Army physician at the (forward-operating base) immediately recognized that the infant was within 24 hours of dying from infection and bleeding,” said Col. (Dr.) Brian Peyton of the 506th EMEDS.

When medics first discovered they had an infant heading their way, they immediately started evaluating their capabilities. Not only were there doctors and nurses with pediatric experience on hand, but Capt. Dawn Graham, a nurse with pediatric intensive care unit experience, had already put together pediatric ICU equipment after she deployed here -- just in case.

Once the infant arrived, the medics began working to save his life.

“The first task was to place intravenous lines and stabilize him,” said Col. (Dr.) Steve Chambers, 506th EMEDS commander. “We gave him fluids, blood and antibiotics and prepared him for surgery.”

The medics determined the baby was in shock from blood loss and infection secondary to an abscess of infected glands in his chest wall. Once he was stabilized, Dr. Peyton performed the one-hour surgery.

During the infant’s stay, the hospital staff noticed his blood was not clotting normally and had to replace clotting factors as well. The squadron is not equipped to perform the more complex clotting tests available at major academic hospitals. Therefore, Airmen began working with the Iraqi Ministry of Health to find a local doctor who could provide not only follow-up care for the surgery, but could help treat the infant if the blood issue continued.

Using an interpreter, they taught the father to change the dressings and care for the wound.

“Despite the language barrier, the father took to caring for the wound as well as, or better than, anyone in the states,” Dr. Peyton said.

After five days and several surgeries, the infant was ready to leave and receive follow-up care from local civilian hospitals.

“It shows the flexibility of EMEDS,” Dr. Chambers said. “The entire EMEDS staff helped with the care of this infant -- as they do with every patient.”