Vera

Vera is a 20 year girl who was admitted 2 days ago with a months worth of cough and fever.  She had been treated elsewhere with antibiotics without improvement.  She was very ill appearing and also suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia and her hemoglobin was 6.0.  Her Chest X-ray today showed a large heart shadow so Dr Ed and I did and ultrasound on her and she had the largest pericardial effusion that either of us has ever seen.  She does not have HIV so she unlikely has Tuberculosis causing her Pericarditis. 


Fortunately, Vera’s parents  were willing and able to take her to the Cardiac Center in Shisong about 4 hours away.  That facility is also run by the Tertiary Sisters of St Francis and is one of only a few such facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Our prayers are with Vera and her family and we hope she makes a full recovery.



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