TELEMEDICINE SAVES LIVES IN LATIN AMERICAA Colombian soldier survived serious injuries thanks to the communication between doctors in Bogotá with specialists from other countries.A 22-year-old Colombian soldier was torn between life and death after suffering serious injuries in a confrontation with guerrillas in the Guaviare jungle.He was transferred to the Military Hospital in Bogotá, whose chief of surgery, William Sánchez, asked the opinions of experts from various countries on how to approach the treatment.
Dr. Sánchez gave his colleagues details of the injuries suffered by the soldier in his abdominal region, colon, pancreas, liver and intestines, complicated by a generalized infection.
The consultation was made in real time through a teleconference that connected universities and hospitals in several countries.Once the case was raised, the doctors gave their opinion and a consensus was reached.
The soldier - whose name was not disclosed because in Colombia it is forbidden to identify patients from the Military Hospital, as explained by Dr. Sánchez - survived thanks to the contributions made by doctors from the American universities of Miami, Florida and Oregon; to the Brazilians of Sao Paulo, Campinas and Amazonas; that of Santo Tomás, in Panama; the Istanbul Trauma Hospital and the US Advance Center in Iraq, among others.“The great advantage is that everyone contributes from the experience of each country.
Consultations between experts from different countries, who offer vital advice to sometimes isolated and under-resourced sites, help save lives.Professional doctor in a smartphone giving a consultation online and checking a radiography, telemedicine and healthcare concept, blank copy spaceThe experts are not physically together, but they see each other, speak and exchange information through a video teleconference that serves as a vehicle for specialists from the most advanced countries - such as the United States - to contribute their knowledge.The Hospital Militar de Bogotá, for example, participates in a network that connects 12 universities and hospitals in the Americas with some three dozen centers in Europe and Asia.
The teleconferences are coordinated by a moderator from the Ryder Traumatology Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami.“There is no cost for calls or consultations.
