CDC to issue Ebola guidelines for healthcare workers as soon as today

[Baitball Blogger]

Source: Orlando Sentinel

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will issue new guidelines for healthcare workers handling Ebola patients as soon as Saturday, the agency confirmed to the Los Angeles Times.

The CDC is “wrapping up the final details” about the new guidelines, which come in the wake of the first Ebola cases in the U.S., CDC spokeswoman Melissa Brower told The Times in an email Friday night.

Two nurses from the Dallas hospital who had close contact with America's first Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, have contracted the virus as a result of apparent lapses in preparedness for handling infected patients. Duncan died Oct. 8.

In addition to the possible CDC announcement, Ohio governor and other state officials have scheduled a news conference Saturday morning concerning Ohio's response to the Ebola threat after the second Texas nurse traveled to the Akron area while she was apparently infected.

Read more: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/la-na-nn-cdc-new-ebola-guidelines-20141018-story.html

[DeadLetterOffice]

1. Gotta love that speedy response, there.

[candelista]

10. Yep. Just "wrapping up a few details."

Fixing to get ready to leap into action.

[DeadLetterOffice]

18. "Fixing to get ready"

...is my *favorite* Southernism of ALL TIME.

[SoapBox]

2. Keyword being "guidelines".

Sounds like my employer...

When people say, hey that's not legal (non union company), in regards to work shifts and the like...

They will remind you that there is nothing "legal" about our "work rules"...they are actually just "guidelines".

[logosoco]

3. Funny, I thought they would already have something like that.

I guess the name of the place threw me off a bit there.

[Ms. Toad]

5. They do. They were obviously inadequate.

These are new and improved guidelines, which include some common sense like no exposed skin & the buddy system for removing PPE.

[candelista]

11. Ebola was discovered 40 years ago.

One would think that there would be adequate guidelines for patient care long before now.

[Ms. Toad]

21. Well - until it migrated outside of Africa

No one cared, or those who did care didn't have the money and resources to implement effective guidelines.

[logosoco]

19. I thought the buddy system would be a given. If someone is under the circumstances

where they need the PPE, they are under a LOT of stress. Hospitals should be more than eager to provide the staff to watch the ones coming out of the suit to make sure they are safe after getting out of the direct situation.

[Ms. Toad]

20. It should have been - but it wasn't. n/t

[LisaL]

22. A lot of things were not done.

They should have gone all out from the start. Instead of taking it easy, and even allowing people who came in contact with Duncan to travel.

[Yo_Mama]

12. They do. They didn't work out, so they are going to modify them.

Hardly a surprise. Here's a link to the current. They have already modified them with the "avoid AGPs" stuff, the infection control duration, and an announcement that PPE recommendations will be published:
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/infection-prevention-and-control-recommendations.html

Before they just had listed in the table the standard, contact and droplet control precautions, including the type of equipment that was worn (goggles or shield, face mask, gloves). Now they removed that list and substituted the "forthcoming".

[TwilightGardener]

4. Let's have some overkill this time around, instead of previous "whatever you were doing with

your OTHER isolation patients is fine" guidelines. Basically, every hospital and urgent care clinic in America should have a stockpile of hazmat gear to be donned immediately, a room pre-designated for immediate isolation (with a bare minimum of personnel allowed in at all), the CDC's "swat team" number and other state/county/law enforcement numbers immediately at hand, and a way to call pre-designated transport that can handle this level of patient, so that the patient never makes it past that one room in case the facility isn't trained and equipped for ebola. Equipment, flowcharts, call rosters, contacts, all ready to go.

[magical thyme]

7. it looks like there will be CDC-certified hospitals designated for Ebola patients

and surrounding hospitals, urgent care centers, clinics, etc. will ship patients to them.

I'm not sure if they ship while still suspected, or after testing positive. But at least where I work they will be immediately isolated and treated by very limited staff.

[TwilightGardener]

9. Well, that's good--sounds like they're figuring it out.

[kestrel91316]

13. Excellent. Because there are just some places that shouldn't even TRY to

provide that level of care.

I was very naive and thought that all hospitals should be able to deal with it OR would have the sense to send the case on to a higher level of care. This will make it mandatory for them to send them on and not get in over their heads.

[underpants]

26. You have to be specifically certified for the Hazmat suits

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5679964

[magical thyme]

6. We heard back from my lab manager who just got her initial information

as of last Wednesday, it looks like there will be CDC-certified hospitals designated as treatment centers. Other hospital EDs, urgent care centers, clinics, etc. in the area will pre-screen patients with travel history for the past month.

At least at my hospital, that will be included in their initial diagnosis (really, presenting complaints/symptoms). Any suspected patient will be immediately isolated and treated by a very limited number of providers. Our lab will only perform a single test if requested; all other testing will be point of care and then the patient shipped out to the CDC-certified hospital.

We're also tightening up on our lab P&Ps, although not enough imo. I emailed her 2 suggestions a few minutes ago.

[Baitball Blogger]

24. Thanks for the information.

[B2G]

8. I thought their protocals were above reproach

Guess not.

[kestrel91316]

14. They were, given the information and experiences of the medical community up to that point.

Where new diseases are concerned, there is a learning curve.

Sorry to have to break it to you, but that's just the way it is. Pathogens don't spring forth with a full set of handling instructions attached. Protocols that suffice in one set of circumstances might not in another.

But go ahead feeling smug. Monday morning quarterbacking is child's play.

Tell me again where you got your PhD in Epidemiology?

[LisaL]

15. Medical community in which health workers were dying right and left

from Ebola.
This is not a new disease. It was discovered decades ago.

[B2G]

16. You're funny

Now you're making the exact same argument I was making the other day.

Only you were arguing against me then.

Lol.

[christx30]

17. Not to be rude,

but Ebola has been around for 40 years. CDC, the WHO, USAMRID, ect have been working with sick and dying people all this time. I can understand lack of a 100% treatment, as the bug likes to evolve/mutate, but protocols should be widely available by now. There should be a folder on someone's computer somewhere at the CDC that says, "in case of Ebola, click here". Hell, last year they released "what to do during a zombie apocalypse".
http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm

So they put thought into that, but not into something real like Ebola?

[underpants]

28. Every organization continually reviews itself

Any good one anyway. They may also be doing this to gets slap upside the head to other horribly mismanaged hospitals.

[MisterP]

23. "don't go anywhere or do anything, ESPECIALLY if we clear you to do so"

[Sunlei]

25. A hospitals infectious disease specialist 'manager' needs to exceed Federal 'guidelines'

At least meet or have training to know better, or don't accept patients with infectious diseases.

guide·line


/ˈɡīdˌlīn/


noun

plural noun: guidelines




a general rule, principle, or piece of advice.

synonyms: recommendation, instruction, direction, suggestion, advice;

[Baitball Blogger]

27. Works for me.

[quadrature]

29. airline workers should use respirators

just my opinion