Wanjiku Kagima a PhD Student on the IMPALA programme completed some important practical training in Kenya in September 2018. Wanjku, who’s PhD project will focus on the use of clinician-performed ultrasound assessment in the acutely breathless patient, was accompanied on a visit to Kenyatta National Hospital by Senior Clinical Lecturer Dr Ingeborg Welters to act as trainer and supervisor. During the visit they were able to complete numerous directly supervised Focused Intensive Care Echo (FICE) scans, lung and abdominal ultrasounds, and many others.
The pair encountered challenges with the safe storage and transport of the large equipment needed to complete the scans (a 9 Logic IQ from GE and an M-turbo from Sonosite), but with the practical support of Dr Ann Mugera, Head of the Kenyatta National Hospital Medical Critical Care Unit their activities were a success.
Training sessions were opened up to medical staff at the Kenyatta National Hospital and Nairobi Hospital and were were well attended by the critical care doctors, physicians, pulmonologists, paediatricians and cardio thoracic surgeons. University of Nairobi professors were also in attendance and very keen to learn ultrasound.
Interest in the training was much greater than anticipated, Dr Hellen Meme of Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) who is an Investigator on IMPALA came along to one session, as did a visiting emergency medicine specialist from Brown University (Kenyan by birth) who had learned of Dr Ingeborg’s training and offered to help deliver the lung ultrasound training. She is passionate about Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS).
Wanjiku reported that the visit was a big success it sparked a lot of interest in POCUS, helped sharpen her skills and also helped identify some hurdles that she may face during her PhD. As well as teaching invaluable techniques to others, Dr Ingeborg also learnt a few new tricks of her own such as how to biopsy a chicken breast with an olive inside!