The power of saline

It is not lost on me or anyone for that matter, that every time I come to Bangladesh my gut bacteria take some time to adjust, and inevitably I have at least one horrific day of GI upset. I bring this up every time because I am still in awe of the wonder of fluid resuscitation in the form of these oral saline powder packs. They contain sodium chloride, potassium and glucose, and when the inopportune moment strikes it certainly comes in handy. 

I first learned about orsaline when I came to Bangladesh as a medical student almost 9 years ago and became ill. It brought me back to life as it did many who were suffering from Cholera in Bangladesh years ago. In fact I have now twice visited the International center for diarrheal disease research (ICDDR) in the last few visits and it never ceases to amaze me how much they’ve accomplished with so many illnesses. In fact it was at the ICDDR that as a medical student I learned how to assess a sick patient with no other tools but my own hands—checking a pulse, checking skin turgor and beneath the eyes and the mouth for evidence of hypovolemia, tools I still use today despite years of advanced training and skilled use of machinery (even the ultrasound!) 

When resources are scarce in comparison to the sheer number of people it is then that ingenuity surfaces, that is indeed in abundance here in Bangladesh and it is this ingenuity that will allow this country to persevere despite so many obstacles.