iPhone

The tragedy in Haiti has claimed countless lives and effected even more. The effects of this disaster spans the globe and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti and those involved in the earthquake as well as the rescue efforts. The needs for wound care in this situation are evident. I’ve been thinking about this situation throughout the turn of events in terms of how wound care is being delivered on the scene. I came across an interesting story of wound care and technology while reading about the rescue efforts.

This lead me to think about how we are using technology in our day to day practices of wound care. Aside from your wound care knowledge and skills, do you use technology in your clinics, hospitals, and home care? What devices do you use from day to day that have become so essential that its considered second nature to use? For your convenience I have inserted the full story below.

The following is taken from Brian X Chen’s article in Wired.com

U.S. filmmaker Dan Woolley was shooting a video about poverty in Haiti when the earthquake struck. He could have died, but he ultimately survived with the help of an iPhone first-aid app that taught him to treat his wounds.

After being crushed by a pile of rubble, Woolley used his digital SLR to illuminate his surroundings and snap photos of the wreckage in search of a safe place to dwell. He took refuge in an elevator shaft, where he followed instructions from an iPhone first-aid app to fashion a bandage and tourniquet for his leg and to stop the bleeding from his head wound, according to an MSNBC story.

The app even warned Woolley not to fall asleep if he felt he was going into shock, so he set his cellphone’s alarm clock to go off every 20 minutes. Sixty-five hours later, a French rescue team saved him.

“I just saw the walls rippling and just explosive sounds all around me,” said Woolley, recounting the earthquake to MSNBC. “It all happened incredibly fast. David yelled out, ‘It’s an earthquake,’ and we both lunged and everything turned dark.”

Woolley’s incident highlights a large social implication of the iPhone and other similar smartphones. A constant internet connection, coupled with a device supporting a wealth of apps, can potentially transform a person into an all-knowing, always-on being. In Woolley’s case, an iPhone app turned him into an amateur medic to help him survive natural disaster.

Say what you will about the iPhone. This story is incredible.

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