Case 14: Living on the Equator

Abstract

It is in the middle of the day and you have just arrived in a mission hospital in Gabon. The sun is shining mercilessly, and the temperature is 38 °C (100 °F). The hospital which was a former military base consists of converted barracks. One barrack contains two operating rooms. As you walk up the steps to this building, you note that just outside the door are two large opened 5 gallon plastic pails containing Sodasorb^® absorbent (WR Grace & Co. Conn. USA). The pails are full of white granules and they are standing without any shade. Inside the barrack, you meet an anesthesia nurse. She tells you that CO₂ analyzer in both operating rooms are malfunctioning, but all the other monitors are working. You see the anesthesia machines and confirm that both CO₂ analyzers are not working but all other monitors are. The anesthesia machines have the option to use soda lime carbon dioxide absorbent. The nurse tells you that the Sodasorb^® outside on the steps arrived 2 days ago. She opened them when they arrived to make sure the pails contained the absorbent. Unfortunately, she has not had time to take them in but will do it now as there is no more Sodasorb^® in the barrack or any fresh Sodasorb^® in the CO₂ canister attached to the anesthesia machine.