Timely advice likely spares medevac from Romania
Posted by Global Administrator on Mon, Dec 21, 2009 @ 10:50 AM
Timely medical advice saves lives. In the case of one of our members, it may also have saved his vision.
One of our members learned this the easy way, by calling us immediately when he experienced blurred vision while working in Bucharest, Romania. He described “floaters and lines” in his vision, as well as flashes at the periphery. Global Rescue paramedics directed him to a reputable ophthalmology clinic, where a specialist diagnosed a small tear at the back of his eye.
Our medical staff and Johns Hopkins specialists reviewed the results from the clinic and decided that the member did not need emergent surgery in Europe. They cleared him for air travel and recommended he board a flight to the United States as soon as possible, as a significant delay would greatly increase the chances of a detached retina.
This case was reminiscent of a recent mission in Mozambique, where a member experienced blurry vision,but did in fact require immediate surgery. Global Rescue medically evacuated him from the bush to an excellent hospital in Johannesburg where his retina was re-attached.
In that case, a medevac flight likely saved the man’s vision. In the case of the member in Romania, it was timely medical advice from top specialists that acted as insurance against a similar emergency.