Besides doing an x-ray of my ankle for fun, we have gotten some more use out of the machine.  We have a "receipe book" of how to take different types of x-rays.  I still haven't learned well, but others here are getting better and better at taking them.

 

 

This is the ankle of a teenage girl that fell on a motorcycle.  She had been seen previously at a the hospital and treated with a splint.  Her original x-ray didn't show any clear fractures.  However the repeat x-ray above looks suspicious for fracture.  Or is it just that her growth plate is not completely fused?  She had been getting somewhat better since that last visit.  After quite a bit of investigation, it seemed clear to me that we could in either case, just treat this as a bad ankle sprain.  I saw her back a couple of weeks later and she continued to get better.

 

 

This middle-aged guy got thrown from his horse.  Not a very good quality x-ray but good enough to send him on to the government hospital with such a bad break.  He took a picture of the x-ray with his smartphone to bring to the hospital. 

 

 

 

This thirteen-year-old girl fell on her left arm while playing basketball.  She had pain from her elbow to her hand.  Her growth plates are still open so it makes it even more difficult for me to see a fracture.  She left in a sling and I recommended that she go to the government hospital if this didn't get better quickly.

 

So the x-ray machine is helpful and some of the missionaries are getting good and taking quality images.  We are still learning to read bone x-rays.  We can pick up clear fractures but it would be really nice to have a radiologist or an orthopedic specialist to send images to from time to time.  We do not really provide fracture care for most fractures at this time but we hope this will change.

 

It is amazing what God has provided over the last year.  We pray that He will continue to provide the many needs of Hospital Adonai.