MPR Everywhere Contest winner

This is the winning entry from the MPR Everywhere contest.

MPR,

I have to admit, I have been receiving your hard copy for years, and just out of curiosity I installed the program on my windows phone and desktop. Honestly, I never thought I’d use the mobile applications. Well, things change. I’m an Independent Duty Corpsman in the US Navy assigned to a Mobile Security Detachment that gets sent to some very remote areas of the world.

To make a long story short, due to several mishaps with the paper version including a coffee accident, then a pipe that ruptured which totally destroyed my paper reference when we were providing security to an Iraqi Oil Platform off the coast Iraq. Needless to say, some of the places I have been I really needed a good pharmaceutical reference since the internet was almost completely non-existent when we were deployed. I know, nowadays not having internet sounds very weird but the electronic version definitely did it’s part. As an Independent Duty Corpsman I seldom have any other providers to discuss patients, medications or treatment regimens with. One night while on the Oil Platform there was a medical emergency in the Iraqi section of the platform. As I responded I found an Iraqi approximately 40 years old doubled up in pain lying on the floor. After a quick exam I determined that he had a very clear case of appendicitis obviously it was a strictly clinical diagnosis. I know many feel that you can’t accurately diagnose an appendicitis without blood work, but without a laboratory you have to make due. At my disposal I had a full pharmacy, and MPR’s desktop version up and running. It was your reference that allowed me to give the correct dosage of Rocephin that helped stabilize this individual enough until we were able to have him make the 24 hour transit to a hospital. To everyone’s relief, it was confirmed as appendicitis at the hospital, and ruptured as they were making the initial incision in the operating room. He made a full recovery and I attribute his rapid recovery to MPR’s assistance. Thank you for a great product, and you were right there on the front lines saving lives in a very austere environment.

Respectfully,

HM1(FMF/EXW/SW) Stephan Howard