"Houston we have a problem" This just got very real

Published

And so it begins....

A health care worker who treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person in the U.S. diagnosed with Ebola who later died, has preliminarily tested positive for the deadly virus, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement today.

The health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has been isolated since reporting a low-grade fever Friday, the department said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct further testing to confirm the diagnosis.

"We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services said in the statement. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/texas-health-care-worker-tests-positive-ebola/story?id=26135108
Specializes in hospice.

She has received a transfusion from Dr. Kent Brantly! :up:

Dallas nurse in good spirits, gets transfusion from Ebola survivor | Dallas Morning News

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

Dr.Snyderman's statement on "NBC Nightly News," in which she says, "While under voluntary quarantine guidelines, which called for our team to avoid public contact for 21 days, members of our group violated those guidelines and understand that our quarantine is now mandatory until 21 days have passed. We remain healthy and our temperatures are normal." ( how can one expect the average person to respect a quarantine when the so called professional did not respect it. I understand with her professional opinion and understand she felt they were of no risk to the public. No where did it say. You are a medical professional , a Doctor so you and your team do not need to abide.)

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

I would hope if dialysis and intubation would (down the road) help this RN then I think it is worth the risk Mr CDC Frieden. She put her life on the line for him! Does he think any other RN will want to walk into an Ebola pts room after seeing how this one has been hung out to dry by the head of the CDC (apologies from him are too late. He showed NO compassion for her)? Any backtracking and apologies he makes about it here on out are moot to me at this point. Too bad he couldn't at least visit her in the hospital and Apologize. Show us how safe your protocols are Dr Frieden. I know that is too much of a risk to let in non-essential personnel though. One more person to monitor so no, he can't visit. Still...

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Alright, Esme! You might be right after all ... ;)

But I am still not panicking. I am educated on this thing because I know I will see it in the ED soon. Thankfully, my hospital actually has good PPE stocked and ready to go.

Panic isn't an effective use of energy....we need to become educated and take the proper precautions necessary to ensure optimal care of the patients...while having the BEST protection ourselves.

Praemonitus praemunitus or forewarned is forearmed

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Specializes in RN CRRN.
Practice donning and doffing. It is so important. Know where the PPE equipment is and how to use it.

A once every year inservice on Haz Mat suits and dusty masks that have been sitting in cabinets for years makes it difficult to be 100% prepared. Someone from infection control should be making available all of the items needed for successful donning, teach about doffing, practice--and every single nurse needs to know how and where to find these items in a hurry.

Where the negative pressure room is and how to use it. And the cleaning service needs to be 100 % sure that they know how to properly terminally clean rooms, the bathrooms.

Hand hygiene always. But the availability and ease of use of the heavy duty hazmat items need to be more streamlined. And available. And used correctly.

Okay. So if you go to the CDC site and dig through the healthcare section on Ebola, you will find a link on how to Don and Doff PPE. Now, there is one example on donning. Cool. There are TWO for Doffing. The First Doffing Example has you remove Gloves, wash hands, THEN Mask and Face Shield THEN Gown. I don't know about you but I do not want to bring my dirty gown sleeves towards my face to remove mask and shield (*at least when it comes to Ebola). Could this be how she did it? Any little bit could flick off her into her eye. The Second Doffing Example has us remove Gown and Gloves at the same time, wash hands THEN the Mask and Face Shield---eliminating the need to bring a dirty gown sleeve towards your face. They need to get rid of the first doffing example if they do not want more ebola HCW cases! Does anyone agree?

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Specializes in hospice.
The Second Doffing Example has us remove Gown and Gloves at the same time, wash hands THEN the Mask and Face Shield---eliminating the need to bring a dirty gown sleeve towards your face. They need to get rid of the first doffing example if they do not want more ebola HCW cases! Does anyone agree?

I agree. That is not how I was taught, but it sure seems to make a lot more sense, and not just for Ebola. I'll be changing how I do it from now on. :up:

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A United Nations medical worker died in Germany.

Sudanese man dies of Ebola in Germany - CNN.com

A United Nations medical worker who was infected with Ebola while working in Liberia has died in Germany.

His death further raises questions of just how equipped health officials are in dealing with the disease.

The 56-year-old man was Sudanese, a spokesman for the St. Georg hospital in Leipzig said Tuesday. He was being treated in a secure isolation ward there. And the clinic said last week that its doctors and medical staff were "perfectly prepared" for the task.

After the man's death, Germany is treating only one other Ebola patient, said St. Georg hospital spokesman Constantin Sauff.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
LOL. @Brendan1.

America isnt a white country. If ebola got out of hand, rest assured that my black butt would be hemorraghing, feverish and delirious...alongside you. LOL

I initially assumed it was bioterrorism. 1. Dude comes to Texas with it's huge poor immigrant pop. The state sends hlthcare workers to the borders for a reason. 2. The media drew special attn to the fact that hed been around kids. Kids are vectors.

I doubt...the guy came over here for reasons provided by the media. Doubt it.

...but im a psych nurse. Of course, Im going to second guess human motives. Thats what happens when you're up close and personal with the more negative aspects of human nature.

But, anyway, I questioned the nurse as well when id heard about it. I dont see the problem with that. Youd want to know if human error was a factor. Thats not throwing the nurse under the bus.

Blaming the nurse because patient zero got discharged with antibiotics...is. Yet, the media and that hospital were on mute once it came to be known that the nurse was likely one of the few who did their job. She probably told the provider and he blew her off. "Im the ... doctah!"

Some of these MDs are barriers to the care of their own pts.

PPE? Well...I try to place instructions beside the pts sink so that our aides know how to remove PPE the right way. Yeah - we were all taught but people do forget. Including me.

Facilities not being properly prepared? Yeah. At one of my PRNs, we were creating makeshift masks with briefs to enter a room. Ran out.

Most of my aides were afraid to go in and my resident wasnt being fed, I was told. One of the aides informed me. She actually went in the room without anything on her face to try to feed the woman! It wasnt my pt so I cant everything about her but i do know that she wasnt droplet precaution. Still, we were required to wear masks. So, i taped two sets of briefs together and we went in the room together.

...and im still not "scared" of Ebola. Fear is not a useful emotion. *shrug*

You shldnt be cowering in a corner; nurses shld be out raising hell about this matter (give us PPE, give us better instruction) since it will be us and our CNAs who are going to be on the front lines if this thing.

Well SAID. :yes:

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My heart is going out to the RN and her family, as well as the rest of the staff. I didn't mean to blame the RN- the nurse in Spain who died (?) of ebola rubbed her gloved hand across her face and they're thinking that's how she got it. At this point, I agree that placing blame on the nurse and human error is an awfully convenient way for the CDC and other BOH to explain away the risks for ebola. I agree that PPE is a joke at most of our hospitals- the flimsy blue gowns are definitely not impermeable to projectile vomit. And for a virus that can live for up to 4 days on surfaces, it's a much bigger issue than anyone wants to admit. Let's hope that the blood transfusion and care this nurse is being treated with cures her.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Okay. So if you go to the CDC site and dig through the healthcare section on Ebola, you will find a link on how to Don and Doff PPE. Now, there is one example on donning. Cool. There are TWO for Doffing. The First Doffing Example has you remove Gloves, wash hands, THEN Mask and Face Shield THEN Gown. I don't know about you but I do not want to bring my dirty gown sleeves towards my face to remove mask and shield (*at least when it comes to Ebola). Could this be how she did it? Any little bit could flick off her into her eye. The Second Doffing Example has us remove Gown and Gloves at the same time, wash hands THEN the Mask and Face Shield---eliminating the need to bring a dirty gown sleeve towards your face. They need to get rid of the first doffing example if they do not want more ebola HCW cases! Does anyone agree?

The doffing I am familiar with is gloves, then gown (untie, and remove and make sure gown is inside out!) THEN goggles, then mask, NOT the other way around; the gown comes off BEFORE anything on your face.

FWIW, remove gloves, put on new gloves and take off gloves and gown at the same time if it helps to prevent contamination and cross contamination.

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Specializes in SICU.

the more I read about this and the more "news" we have trickling toward us, I am affirmed in my decision that I will only care for an Ebola patient if I am availed the same equipment as the Hazmat team. I do not care what anyone says about proper PPE etc... have you heard of anyone from the CDC or Hazmat contracting Ebola? exactly! also I wouldn't mind a decontaminating bleach shower before and after patient care.... that is all....

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Specializes in L&D, Women's Health.

CDC considering having pts transfer to specialized hospitals

#Ebolanta: Will Atlanta become one of 4 central Ebola treatment centers? | Online Athens

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