Meningitis..how does your dept handle it?

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OK, here is my question. We recently had a pt on L&D very sick with a suspected case of meningitis (just as good as confirmed cases if you ask me!) Anyway, we had her in a reverse airflow room. I went in to assist the nurse and docs with the D&C (17wk FD) , and I was the only one wearing a mask. Was this inappropriate of me? Why was no one else wearing a mask, and why were we not using droplet precautions? We were so busy that I did not have a chance to ask our charge nurse what was up. What does your hospital do with this situation? SG

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Droplet precautions, so you were right to wear a mask.

Unless it was bacterial, no mask needed. Do you know which was suspected?

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Always go with your gut instincts on PPE...and never doubt yourself! Remember, that PPE is a personal choice with parameters of course, but certainly something each individual chooses dependant on circumstance and experience. Masking up is a good idea if you want to..go with it and don't worry about what others say...because maybe they are thinking "hmmmmmm so and so masked up...wow, I guess I should have too...oh next time I will".

Now dependant on the type of meningitis involved is how you PPE. BUT if you do not know...gear up! Better safe than sorry. Know thy enemy...

My hubby was in the back of an ambulance with a man that supposidly died (later in the ED) of GI bleed but wound up being a case of meningitis (how they checked for this with NO signs and symptoms I have no idea!). Blood everywhere, and sure..they were gloved and my hubby masked up once the patient was vomiting (and he wears glasses)..but there was a time there in a confined space they weren't wearing a mask. Now they didn't know till 4 hours after work about the meningitis, and we get a call at 0300 that he and his partner were to go get some injection (isn't that gamma globulin? I can't remember...too darned early for me then..LOL!) right then and there! Talk about freaky! I fear for paramedics stuck in confined ambulances..they bring everything home (hubbys immune system is so strong it kills livestock at 50 paces..LOL!).

Now for a GI bleed with vomiting..sure, glove up with mask and shield is appropriate...but what if they weren't vomiting??? Most wouldn't mask up for a GI bleed unless there was blood being sprayed...and well, you just never know! Better to be safe and trust your instincts...you never know!

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Thanks for the responses so far! In answer the 3rdshiftguy's question.......the woman came in through the ER, was checked out and sent up to our floor and we never heard ( or maybe never asked!) if they suspected viral or bacterial. We had her for over 24hrs and never started up droplet precautions. SG

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