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<p>That means it takes about 3 days to rule out. Are there cases positive testing turned out to be negative later?</p>
<p>“Which raises a lay question: When a patient presenting with fever and undiagnosed flu-like symptoms is admitted, is the general protocol for nursing him different than after diagnosis”</p>
<p>Apparently, when Mr Duncan came to the ER the second time, he was fairly ill, way beyond flu like symptoms. His condition, apparently, rapidly went downhill, so by the day he was confirmed to have Ebola, he was highly contagious. The level of protection should be proportionate to the exposure risk. Assesment of risk includes travel history, contact history and symptoms. If someone walks into our regional trauma hospital and says they just came from a vacation in HI and feel crappy and feverish, and there is no history of any Ebola contacts, summoning a hazmat team is not warranted. </p>
<p>Ok, but if I remember correctly, the second time Duncan was brought in, the hospital staff “got” it immediately that there was an Ebola risk, and obviously they did because they tested for the virus. So what I’m saying is that with that in mind, one would assume that the nursing staff immediately went into CDC protocol mode (as much as was made known to them at the time, and it does look like what they did was compliant at the time), unless no one told them Duncan was an Ebola risk. </p>
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<p>False negatives seem fairly common in early stages, but I haven’t yet seen any reports in the media of false positives.</p>
<p><a href=“Obama Administration Found Nearly 25 Percent Chance of Ebola Spread to USA…BEFORE Obama Said”>http://news.yahoo.com/obama-administration-found-nearly-25-percent-chance-ebola-184611722.html</a></p>
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<p>Bay, I do not think that is what happened. Even if it did, remember that the nurses did not have the right protective gear at that time.</p>
<p>I think they did have the right protective gear. The CDC guidelines were surprisingly minimal. One set of gloves, no head or neck covering required, legs and feet optional, facemask and eyeprotection.</p>
<p>In a weird way, these isolated early victims are fortunate. They are getting world-class care. There are still enough of the specialized beds to go around, IIRC 23 of them nationwide. Dr. Brantly still has enough plasma to donate. Six or nine months from now when – despite the travel bans – Ebola has come to our shores in earnest, it’s going to be a different story.</p>
<p>Apparently Mexico has refused to let the cruise ship dock. It’s headed back to Texas.</p>
<p>The N95 masks have been around since mid 90’s if I recall correctly, all staff are fit tested part of the infection control procedure yearly mandatory in services. You are fitted for a size, then you know your size mask going forward. But having experience with this, having a smaller facial structure, try and locate a box of small masks when you need one. It isn’t happening. Mediums are all any hospital I ever worked in ever had available. Shameful. </p>
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<p>No trip for all passengers? That must be disappointing.</p>
<h1>1287 - get your Ebola exposure early! ;)</h1>
<p>Bay, again, we do not know the exact sequence of events, but based on what the nurses said to various media outlets, I do not think even that was available or the nurses were instructed to follow the highest possible level of precaution. </p>
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<p>No, apparently he had a high fever and was vomiting and having diarrhea and remained in the open ER for <strong>4 hours</strong> before he was finally moved to an isolation area. Remember, his nephew reportedly called the CDC during that timeframe to tell them his uncle was in the hospital and not being treated like an Ebola patient? (Although posters in the other thread chose to characterize him as attempting to game the system for a free apartment cleaning… ) 8-> </p>
<p>Heard that the woman who vomited in the Pentagon parking lot had recently traveled to Sierra Leone.</p>
<p>Ok I thought the 4 hours waiting was the first visit. The second time he came in an ambulance. </p>
<p>Even when patients arrive via ambulance, if they are not considered a high priority, they wait to be seen. </p>
<p>Boy, if I was one of the folks on the cruise ship, I’d be very upset–saving up to go on a cruise and not being able to dock at the planned ports–yep very disappointing and likely to generate significant complaints from the other passengers.</p>
<p>Ebola would not equate to PPE that would be used for a suspected influenza/TB/HIV/AIDS not even close. Haz mat training is not equal at all to infection control training given in hospitals. This is where the CDC screwed up. If the nurses were taping the ends of their gowns with tape typically found in the hospital setting, it would not at all protect them. It is not water proof/impermeable. The workers in West Africa are not using surgical tape to tape the ends of their gowns/gloves.</p>
<p>Just look at the differences between actual HAZmat training and a typical hospital training course
40 hours versus 3. One must be done on site actually utilizing the gowns/hoods. The other one given to hospital workers is an online course.
<a href=“24 Hour Hazwoper Training Course | Online Hazwoper Training”>http://www.hazmatschool.com/product/osha-40-hour-hazardous-waste-general-site-worker/</a>
<a href=“http://www.northshorelij.com/hospitals/professional-education/infection-control-training-course”>http://www.northshorelij.com/hospitals/professional-education/infection-control-training-course</a></p>
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<p>Duncan daughter who called an ambulance had already suspected Ebola and told them they’d need protective gear from what I read. It seems more likely the hospital knew the second time. I thought the nephew’s call to CDC was made on the 26th after the first visit. Earlier reports I read said Nurse Pham was taking care of Duncan in the late stage changing diapers, etc. Of course, there’s that 1400 page hospital log one can go through to clear up the matter.</p>