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

[Esme12]

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

[RedWeasel, RN]

Scientists in a level 4 biohazard (research the 4 different levels - you will be surprised) containment labe wear airborne precautions due to it's virulence. That is just so they can work with it in a quiet little petri dish. We are expected to work with diarrhea and projectile emesis, using droplet precautions (the originally recommended PPE for ebola for HVWs). That is your breach in protocol. From the top. CDC.

[Thimbalina]

I find it ironic that someone who had visited West Africa would throw up on the entrance to the Pentagon.

Ok. NOW can we restrict access into our country from these countries?

Bam. Take that Washington. Ebola just landed on your doorstep.

[Thimbalina]

I find it ironic that someone who had visited West Africa would throw up on the entrance to the Pentagon.

Ok. NOW can we restrict access into our country from these countries?

Bam. Take that Washington. Ebola just landed on your doorstep.

Ok. Retraction: Woman who caused Ebola scare at Pentagon admits she made up story about traveling to West Africa | Fox News

It was a hoax. GEEZ LOUISE!!!! The crazies have found a new way to terrorize us.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

It was a hoax. GEEZ LOUISE!!!! The crazies have found a new way to terrorize us.

And not for the first time- there was at least one passenger removed from an airplane for joking about Ebola previously.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

Ebola Hospital Points Fingers

The Dallas hospital at the center of the Ebola storm is criticizing federal officials, arguing workers followed established guidelines for treating patients.

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital also lashed out at the media, arguing news reports about the hospital have been "completely inaccurate" and "sensationalized."

And it criticized "third-party groups," such as the National Nurses United union for saying the hospital didn't do enough to protect its workers.

The union has accused the hospital of serious missteps in Thomas Eric Duncan's care, claiming to speak on behalf of several Dallas nurses who chose to remain anonymous...

http://nation.foxnews.com/2014/10/17/ebola-hospital-points-fingers

[StNeotser, ASN, RN]

Dallas hospital hit by Ebola losing patients and money - Oct. 17, 2014

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has 900 beds, but is down to only 300 patients, a CDC official who was at the hospital told CNN. Hospital officials would not comment on that report.

apologies if this has been posted elsewhere. There are so many ebola threads. I do think Presbyterian is probably a good hospital. I feel sorry for all those workers who may be called off for low census. I don't feel sorry for those who attempted to shift blame on to nursing but those people are few compared to the majority who are being hit by this

[edmia, BSN, RN]

Ok. Well I realize we (as in our healthcare corporations) really messed up the handling of the ONE EVD patient we had and that has led to healthcare workers becoming infected. I get it. I'm angry. I'm shocked with all the money we have, we were so lax in preparing. Perhaps this has to do with our detachment from the real crisis in West Africa.

I'm posting the blog of a Columbia professor who went to work with the WHO to help with the response to this crisis. Please read it. It will open your eyes to what a real Ebola problem looks like: http://pfmhcolumbia.wordpress.com/tag/ebola-outbreak/

[chadrn65]

Ok. Well I realize we (as in our healthcare corporations) really messed up the handling of the ONE EVD patient we had and that has led to healthcare workers becoming infected. I get it. I'm angry. I'm shocked with all the money we have, we were so lax in preparing. Perhaps this has to do with our detachment from the real crisis in West Africa.

I'm posting the blog of a Columbia professor who went to work with the WHO to help with the response to this crisis. Please read it. It will open your eyes to what a real Ebola problem looks like: ebola outbreak | The Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University

Good blog. I will post the one I have been reading regarding these nurses.

[chadrn65]

This is an article of 3 nurses (American, Australian and Norwegian) working at an Ebola Clinic in Sierra Leone. I am posting the one about the Australian nurse for she goes in great detail on the prep for suiting up and removal. The other nurses stories are equally as good and show pictures as well.

‘A teenage girl bled to death over two days': Ebola nurses describe life and death on the frontline | World news | The Guardian

Ebola nurses describe life and death on the frontline

West Africa is battling the biggest known outbreak of Ebola, with experts predicting there could be 1.4 million cases by January. Three nurses who volunteered to help fight the virus in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the worst-affected countries, describe the daily horror

Sue Ellen Kovack, 56

Australian Red Cross nurse, Kenema, Sierra Leone

At the start of the day, I check my hands for any cuts or scrapes that will bar me from donning PPE. Entering the centre, I must wash my hands in a 0.05% chlorine solution. I balance on one foot as someone sprays the bottoms of my shoes with 0.5% chlorine before being allowed entry to the low-risk area.

I search for a pair of cold wet boots in my size, which have been soaking in chlorine for the night, and I change into my scrubs. I go straight to the whiteboard to see who has passed away during the night; today, it's one of three nurses who became infected at work. One is on his way to good health, the other is still hanging on.

We need to synchronise putting the PPE on with other team members, because if one is slower than the rest we end up waiting and baking in the sun. We have a dresser to make sure we are completely covered, or we work in pairs and check each other. First on are gloves and a jumpsuit. Then a second pair of gloves, a thick duckbill mask, a hood, and an apron that is tied by the dresser so we can untie it with one pull. Then on go the goggles with a generous drizzle of antifogging spray, a final check in the mirror and a final check with each other. The checking does not stop there, as we must ensure during our time in the high-risk area that we are still covered, that a mask has not slipped, or that a piece of skin has not been exposed. If that happens, we leave the area immediately. We check the time - 45 minutes to one hour is the maximum allowed in the PPE.

We have the luxury of four nurses today. Patients who are feeling well enough are sitting on plastic chairs waiting for a meal. We might offer some pain relief, or a smile from beneath our PPE (yes, you can smile with your eyes).

Hannah (not her real name) is sitting outside, greeting us with a big smile. She has lost all her children to Ebola as well as her husband. And here she is asking me how my evening was. The staff tell me she has had some bad moments, but all they can do is reassure her that she is young and can bear more children.

Others have not fared so well - too weak to sit up, or get to the toilet or the shower block. We do our best to offer fluids, a wash and some paracetamol. The local nursing staff have amazing courage to work in our centre. Their families ostracise them, but they still come, to try to bring an end to this brutal, invisible "war". In Africa, it is usually the family that feeds, washes and comforts the patients. But no family members are allowed inside our treatment centre.

[chadrn65]

Here is another interesting article on recruiting and volunteering.

Hundreds of NHS medics volunteer to work in Sierra Leone as Ebola spreads | World news | The Guardian

[h=1]Hundreds of NHS medics volunteer to work in Sierra Leone as Ebola spreads[/h]Ebola ‘hysteria’ in Europe and the US could be hampering nursing call-up, warn medical charities operating in west Africa

We are trained to cope with risk,’ says intensive-care nurse Margarita Toumasou, who has volunteered to work in west Africa to treat Ebola patients. More than 800 NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics have signed up to work in Sierra Leone as the spread of Ebola continues to outpace efforts to contain the virus.

But medical charities operating in west Africa warn that “hysteria” whipped up about a potential outbreak in Europe or the US could compromise efforts to attract thousands more volunteers that are needed.

While there remains clearly a risk of staff catching Ebola, “healthcare professionals are trained at managing risk, respect their colleagues and are most comfortable following protocols and they trust themselves and their colleagues to do that”.

The campaign to attract volunteers has its own problems however, including a bottleneck in training. So far only 130 out of the 800 volunteers have been vetted for suitability, and 120 of those have been approved. They will then still need two weeks of training in the UK followed by more “live” training in Sierra Leone.

“The cold training in the classroom is manageable, but the hot-training can only be done in treatment centres. People have to buddy up – doctors with doctors and nurses with nurses and do the rounds. This all takes time,” said Casey, warning that more resources are urgently needed on this front.

[Thimbalina]

"So far only 130 out of the 800 volunteers have been vetted for suitability, and 120 of those have been approved. They will then still need two weeks of training in the UK followed by more “live” training in Sierra Leone.

“The cold training in the classroom is manageable, but the hot-training can only be done in treatment centres. People have to buddy up – doctors with doctors and nurses with nurses and do the rounds. This all takes time,” said Casey, warning that more resources are urgently needed on this front."

Those are so interesting. Thanks. There's a part of me that would like to volunteer. It's not a good time for me right now… but it actually sounds interesting and meaningful.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Ebola won't be limited to the US. International travel makes this a very real threat and we are not prepared at the moment. Also, the current PPE is not adequate for this virus, considering there isn't an effective vaccine.