Various laboratory tests are helpful and often necessary for the diagnosis and management of many diseases and infections. Real Hope for Haiti was blessed a couple of years ago with a lab. Slowly, we have expanded the equipment in the lab and tests that we are able to perform. Lab supplies and equipment are expensive. We greatly benefit from a relationship with World Wide Lab Improvement, who provides much of our lab equipment and supplies at a reduced cost. We are blessed by the aid of several generous donors that helped with the purchase of all that is in our lab. Most recently, we received an awesome donation of an iStat from the Sumner Rotary club (located in Washington State). This is a hand held machine that can perform many different tests and is very simple to use. The machine operates using cartridges that contain the necessary reagents. A new cartridge must be used for each test, and they are not cheap. Fortunately, the company that makes the iStat and the cartridges, Abbott, is willing to donate the cartridges. With Haiti struggling right now, this was welcomed news. We praise God for His Provision!

We have used the iStat to monitor children who are critically ill in the malnutrition center and also clinic patients with various symptoms and diseases. The diagnostic information obtained has been immensely helpful in managing and directing treatment. Below are a few examples:

Wilderson is a 3 year old boy with multiple heart defects, likely secondary to rheumatic heart disease. He has related heart failure. He requires diuretics to maximize his heart function and to minimize pulmonary edema, however, diuretics frequently cause low sodium, potassium and kidney failure. The iStat and corresponding cartridges have allowed us to routinely monitor his electrolytes and kidney function.

Nanette is patient with edema, probable kwashiorkor. She started having seizures. We used the iStat to check her electrolytes and to check for acid/ base disorders.

A clinic patient came with edema- involving most of his body. Lab tests revealed a problem with his kidneys. As many of you know, Haiti has been experiencing political unrest recently- sometimes making travel difficult and even dangerous. We used the iStat to check this patient’s potassium, BUN and acid/ base status, which helped us to determine how urgently the patient needed to get to a hospital- fortunately, he could wait a few days until traveling to Port au Prince would be safer.