Auction Items Keep Patients Comfortable

1/8/2018

Space blankets and Bair Huggers make a big difference on the first day of surgery at Juan Bosch Hospital

Space Blankets
One of the auction items up for bid was 100 space blankets. On the first day of surgery it was clear just how significant this item was. Before surgery, patients must wait in a drafty room with dressed only in their surgical gowns. In years past, patients have commented on how cold they were. This year, we auctioned off the purchase of 100 space blankest similar to those you see runners wearing after a marathon. Sometimes waiting for surgery can seem like a marathon but this year we were able to make that wait a lot more comfortable by providing patients with space blankets. They held on to the blankest and used them after surgery as well. What a difference it has made! Susan William's auction donation provided blankets for all the 2018 patients. Thanks Susan!

Bair Huggers
During surgery, donated Bair Huggers keep patient temperatures regulated. Bair Hugger is the brand name for an intraoperative warming unit that basically acts like a hair dryer hooked up to an inflatable blanket. While standard in the U. S., these units are in short supply in the DR. This year, we brought 2 new units down and that made a huge difference. “I could kiss whoever got these Bair Huggers to the DR,” said Anesthesiologist Brent Graham, "Normally the patient is freezing this far into the surgery." But this year Dr. Graham says the patients are “Muy Bien!”