Unfettered Letters

Training for emergency deliveries

The article, “Groans are fake, but lessons are real” (8/13, A-1) draws attention to the importance of structured training for maternity care providers. However, the article’s subtitle falsely proclaims “KU Hospital is the first in the nation to use a training course for delivery emergencies.”

The American Academy of Family Physicians, with its national headquarters in Leawood, has been administering the award-winning Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics program for the past 15 years. Many hospitals throughout the country have mandated the ALSO course for all maternity care providers on staff. In fact, all U.S. naval hospitals require the ALSO course for each of their maternity care providers.

Like PROMPT, ALSO utilizes hands-on training with simulation mannequins to teach medical management of all the major causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Yet it is ALSO that is the largest training program for emergencies during childbirth.

In the United States, more than 55,000 maternity care providers have successfully completed the course. Additionally, ALSO has been offered in 47 countries (including the U.K.) and has trained 25,000 more health-care professionals worldwide.

Douglas E. Henley, M.D.
Executive vice president, American Academy of Family Physicians
Leawood

Ambulance saved her

In reply to “Call an ambulance” (1/26, Letters) by Vickie Rupard, RN: Thank God my daughter called an ambulance for me when I recently suffered from congestive heart failure. Thanks to the EMTs sent to me from MAST for keeping me alive until I got to St. Joseph Medical Center. And thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses in the emergency room for keeping me alive so I could live to write this thank you.

Call an ambulance.

Patricia Huddleston
Kansas City

Arrowhead medical team

My family, nine members, attended the Chiefs/Seahawks game. When we got to our seats just before kickoff, a lady was down on the floor. She was having a difficult time breathing.

It turned very bad fast for the lady, as she coded in the stands. I was very impressed with the rescue squad's work under the pressure, and that far up in the seats.

I feel the city should know what a great team effort they made to get the woman out and to the hospital. Great work, guys and gals. I know the lady is alive due to your great efforts.

I also was glad they came back for the second backboard I was holding while they worked, as I was not sure I could watch the game holding it.

Harold Hamre
Bloomfield, Iowa

Blood center’s good work

Your editorial (7/31) decrying the mistaken release of a unit of contaminated platelets by Community Blood Center needs to be put in context.

The blood center processes over 100,000 units of blood and components a year, testing for ABO group, Rh type, unexpected blood group antibodies, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV-1, HIV-2, human T-cell lymphotropic viruses I and II, syphilis, West Nile virus and bacterial contamination.

This is over a million tests per year, year in, year out, with zero tolerance for error.

In contrast, your readers’ representative informs us (7/30) that The Star has published 356 corrections so far in 2006, with a denominator of 70,000 stories.

If The Star’s error rate were extrapolated to Community Blood Center, we would see about 10 patient deaths per week.

Ah, you will say, but reporting the news is not as important as ensuring the safety of the blood supply. No, of course not, but human beings make errors even when they are well aware of the importance of their task, and even when trying their hardest.

Community Blood Center does a magnificent job of providing a steady supply of safe blood for our region. A tragic error was made, but it should be emphasized that such errors are rare, and that the blood center has also saved countless lives.

Deborah Borek, M.D.
Kansas City

Editor’s note: Borek is a pathologist with a subspecialty in transfusion medicine.

Troops need supplies

When I read that our troops in harm’s way lack blood clotting supplies (6/9, A-1), I was torn between cursing and crying.

My soldier nephew is now en route to Afghanistan, where there many not be the protective gear or medical supplies necessary to keep him alive.

I thank our reporters for bringing us the truth from war zones. The government won’t tell us. But I wonder what we can do about this shameful neglect other than send needed supplies in care packages?

Barbara Jo Kerr
Louisburg, Kan.

Blood-clotting supplies

Is there no end to the outrage? First, inadequately armored helmets, vests and Humvees. Now we learn our combat troops lack clotting supplies to keep their wounded comrades from bleeding to death (6/9, A-1). Some have bought these themselves.

We beg each politician who struts into Iraq or Afghanistan for a photo op to take vital blood-clotting bandages for the troops. We will certainly include these in the care packages we mail.

Perhaps we Kansas Citians could initiate a collection drive through a church or nonprofit agency. Literally, a heart-to-heart gift.

Bruce and Reta Jo Mitchell
Kansas City

An opportunity missed

Johnson County commissioners, in a decision not to participate in a clinical trial (10/28, Metro), perpetuated an elitist attitude that is far too pervasive in Johnson County. Offered the opportunity to have the county’s Med-Act ambulances carry a new, but experimental, blood substitute (PolyHeme) used exclusively on trauma victims with life-threatening injuries and often unconscious, the board denied a possible lifesaving treatment to persons injured in that county.

As one who spent my professional career developing new medical products, I fully understand the need for pre-license testing of new drugs and vaccines, whether for humans or animals. Every medication is evaluated in humans for safety and efficacy prior to final clinical trials and licensing.

Traumatic accidents do occur in Johnson County, and our citizens deserve the same opportunity as those in Wyandotte, Douglas and Leavenworth counties. The board’s decision could be interpreted as presupposing Johnson County’s citizens don’t want the advantages of new lifesaving treatments.

I congratulate the University of Kansas Medical Center for being selected to evaluate what may become the standard of care for trauma patients.

Janis McMillen
Overland Park