Skip to comments.
Most U.S. Hospitals Cannot Safely Handle Ebola Patients
DCClothesline/The Most Important News ^
| 10-15-14
| Michael Snyder
Posted on 10/15/2014 12:26:37 PM PDT by Mozilla
This Ebola outbreak is being called the most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times, and the U.S. health care system is completely and totally unprepared for it. The truth is that most U.S. hospitals are simply not equipped to safely handle Ebola patients, and most hospital staff members have received little or no training on Ebola. And the fact that Barack Obama and our top public health officials are running around proclaiming that Ebola is difficult to catch is giving doctors and nurses a false sense of security. There is a reason why Ebola has been classified as a biosafety-level 4 (BSL-4) pathogen. It is an extraordinarily dangerous virus, and there are only a few facilities in the entire country that are set up to safely handle such a disease.
The Ebola patient that recently died in Dallas was the first to be cared for in a facility that did not follow biosafety-level 4 protocols. And so it should not be a surprise that this is the facility where transmission happened
Of the six Ebola patients treated in the U.S. before the health workers case, Duncan was the only one not treated at one of the specialized units in several hospitals around the country set up to deal with high-risk germs.
The CDCs director, Dr. Thomas Frieden, has said that any U.S. hospital with isolation capabilities can care for an Ebola patient. But his stance seemed to soften on Sunday, when asked at a news conference whether officials now would consider moving Ebola patients to specialized units.
Were going to look at all opportunities to improve the level of safety and to minimize risk, but we cant let any hospital let its guard down, because Ebola patients could turn up anywhere, and every hospital must be able to quickly isolate and diagnose such cases, he said.
The head of the CDC continues to underestimate the seriousness of this disease. His opinion that just about any U.S. hospital can safely handle Ebola patients is being contradicted by a whole host of medical experts, including ABC News chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser
Besser said he does not agree with the Centers for Disease Control, which says any U.S. hospital can safely care for an Ebola patient.
To do it safely, health care workers need to train and practice using protective equipment like they have been doing at the Emory and Nebraska facilities, he said, referring to special biocontainment units at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta where Fort Worth physician Kent Brantly was treated for Ebola exposure; and the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where an NBC photojournalist is currently being cared for. I would never have gone into an Ebola ward in Africa without being dressed and decontaminated by experts health care workers here should expect no less.
And even if our hospitals had the proper equipment and hospital staff were being given proper BSL-4 protective clothing, the reality of the matter is that most of them have not received adequate training. Just check out the following excerpt from an NBC News article that was posted this week
Three out of four nurses say their hospital hasnt provided sufficient education for them on Ebola, according to a survey by the largest professional association of registered nurses in the United States.
National Nurses United has been conducting an online survey of health care workers across the U.S. as the Ebola outbreak has widened globally. After a Texas nurse who cared for the first patient diagnosed with the Ebola in the U.S. tested positive for the virus Sunday, the group released its latest survey findings.
Out of more than 1,900 nurses in 46 states and Washington D.C. who responded, 76 percent said their hospital still hadnt communicated to them an official policy on admitting potential patients with Ebola. And a whopping 85 percent said their hospital hadnt provided educational training sessions on Ebola in which nurses could interact and ask questions.
If this is indeed the most serious health emergency in modern times like the WHO is saying, then we need to get our health care personnel trained to face it immediately.
Sadly, if a major Ebola pandemic does break out in this country, there is no way that we are going to have the resources to be able to deal with it.
As I discussed yesterday, WND is reporting that there is only one BSL-4 care facility in the entire nation that is available to treat the general public
Have you wondered why Ebola patients are being sent to Omaha, Nebraska?
Its because one physician, Dr. Philip Smith, had the foresight to set up the Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit after the Sept. 11 attacks as a bulwark against bioterrorism. Empty for more than a decade, used only for drills, it was called Maurers Folly, for Harold Maurer, former chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The unit has a special air handling system to keep germs from escaping from patient rooms, and a steam sterilizer for scrubs and equipment.
It could handle at most 10 patients at a time, but one or two would be more comfortable, owing to the large volume of infectious waste.
It is the largest of only four such units in the U.S., and the only one designated for the general public.
If the outbreak in the United States is limited to just a few patients we will probably be fine.
But what if it isnt?
Meanwhile, the Obama administration continues to do next to nothing to prevent more people infected with Ebola from traveling into this country.
Obama says that there is extensive screening at our airports, but that simply is not true.
The following is one example of the extensive screening that is taking place
The World Health Organization is sending doctors to countries where the virus is most prevalent Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Fusions Jorge Ramos spoke to one of the doctors, Dr. Aileen Marty, who recently returned home to Miami after spending 31 days in Nigeria. She says she was surprised what happened when she arrived at Miami International Airport.
I get to the kiosk
mark the fact that Ive been in Nigeria and nobody cares, nobody stopped me, Marty said.
Not a single test? Ramos asked her, surprised.
Nothing, Marty answered.
And the head of the CDC continues to rule out a ban on air travel for non-essential personnel to and from the countries where Ebola is raging
Dr. Frieden strongly argued against curtailing travel to and from West Africa, in part because that could make it harder to get supplies to those countries. That will make it harder to stop the disease, he said. Whatever we do, we wont stop travel to and from these countries.
It is hard to put into words how foolish this is.
If this virus gets loose inside the United States it could easily become the worst health crisis our nation has ever seen.
The key is to keep the virus from getting into our country in the first place.
Banning air travel for non-essential personnel to and from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia would not be that big of a deal. Many other countries have already done it.
But the CDC and the Obama administration are not even considering it.
If they have made the wrong call on this, it could end up costing large numbers of Americans their lives.
Michael Snyder is the Editor of the End of the American Dream blog.
TOPICS: Government; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: ebola; hospitals; outbreak; pandemics; virus
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-37 last
To: therapsida
SO dont prepare...or take any precautions....on your own....because?....That just wouldnt be ......”fair”?..............To Who ?...To U.S.?.....to YOU?....ME?.....Our CHILDREN?......................really?
THIS is the Director of WORLD HEALTH....What ‘spose she She does....?.................200k per.year?...........MORE?....probly more.....
So....there is a fire.....you pick up a __________...correct.
So ....You are driving.....you put on a ____________correct.
So....a tornado is coming...you go in the ___________correct.
OK multiple choice now.........So a bad -ass disease is O.C.....In another country....say....ahhh Germany.......you...................................................A. bus them across the border with tax money............................................B. let them fly right in with out a 21 day hold period?..................................C. Instruct the healthy people to take No precautions because they are stupid ,irrational and disorganized..........................................................D.. ALL OF THE ABOVE.....
21
posted on
10/15/2014 1:06:04 PM PDT
by
therapsida
(tThats a group now?)
To: Mozilla
Level 4 hospitals are uncommon. That is what it takes. Period. No exceptions. This is why we need to take this disease threat seriously.
To: Mozilla
Harsh learning curve
This is uncharted territory for the average American hospital
23
posted on
10/15/2014 1:15:14 PM PDT
by
Califreak
(Hope and Che'nge is killing U.S.)
To: 2ndreconmarine; Fitzcarraldo; Covenantor; Mother Abigail; EBH; Dog Gone; ...
24
posted on
10/15/2014 1:15:50 PM PDT
by
Smokin' Joe
(How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
To: what's up
If the nurses and other hospital staff knew that they were not following Ebola protocols, the hospital administrators should have also known they were not following protocol. The moment the administrators realized they could not follow protocol, they should announced that and shipped Duncan to Atlanta.
Could you please cite any law that would have given the CDC the power to enter a private hospital and take over the treatment of a patient?
To: Oliviaforever
I'm sure the hospital would have been happy to have the CDC take the case; it has cost the hospital millions to care for the patient.
Again, CDC is specifically trained for this kind of thing. Hospitals are not. CDC will have to take over the leadership to lead these hospitals into what to do since they have the knowledge. That's why Burwell finally stepped up to the plate today rather than blaming the local medical facility.
To: Mozilla
I will tell you a story. My inlays go to Baylor Hospital for heart checkups. Today they could not find a parking place. Never had that problem before. My wife asked why....her mother said she thought perhaps Obamacare. My wife said , "No", it was because Presbyterian Hospital (about 2 miles away as the crow flies) was not being used. Presby is an 800 bed hospital and is like a ghost town. Presbyterean Hospital is an excellent hospital and will never recover from the millions of dollars lost and will continue to lose.
I believe Ebola will destroy the health care delivery system if we do not cordon off the 5 western African countries where the epicenter is located. With profound diligence we could stop it if responsible decisions are made. I see no evidence that is going to be done. If Ebola does not kill off these medical centers, the lawyers will. I can see the lawsuits could dwarf the tobacco suits.
Isn't it interesting that this one disease could have such a profound effect on the the health care facilities and the economy. Gird your loins. It's going to be interesting.
To: Mozilla
Isolation Unit Beds
2? - Emory, Atlanta
3 - The Care and Isolation Unit in Missoula, Montana, opened in 2005 by the National Institutes of Health to serve lab workers at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, hasnt yet served an infectious disease patient, only a handful with tuberculosis or contagious bacterial infections. The rooms look like everyday hospital roomswhite, sterile, a TV and window for entertainment. Thats because St. Patrick Hospital retrofitted three of its ICU rooms to make the unit.
10 Omaha, Nebraska Medical Center run twice yearly drills with decontamination at their hospitals 10-bed biocontainment unit. Opened in 2005. Has never had an infectious disease patient. Prior to Dr. Sacra in Sept., the unit had only briefly housed one patient with malaria five years ago. Malaria does not require quarantine.
7 - NIH opened a seven-bed Special Clinical Studies Unit at the Clinical Research Center in Bethesda to replace it. Its four patient rooms (two doubles and a single (hope their math doesn’t reflect in their training)). Bethesda unit has only served a patient with a drug-resistant bacterial illness. It can handle the highest level of respiratory virus, but Ebola isnt even spread that way, said Richard Davey, deputy clinical director of NIHs Division of Clinical Research.
? - US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) Ft. Detrick, Maryland.
As of 10/13, the CDC is scrambling to have Parkland and Baylor University Medical Center Dallas care for adults and Childrens Medical Center Dallas for kids. Of course, those are makeshift and NOT anywhere close to Level 4.
28
posted on
10/15/2014 2:33:02 PM PDT
by
bgill
(CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
To: Jeff Chandler
After the first nurse was admitted, THPH shut down it’s ICU and ER. The next day, they sent every non-esential employee home and all but closed down the entire hospital. Now we’re learning they didn’t wear PPEs the first two days until Duncan’s test results came back. And they sent his samples through the tube thing (like at the drive thru at your bank) which goes all over the hospital along with everyone else’s samples. Nurses are saying they left the waste pile up in the room. We’re lucky it was only 2 days for the test results to come back because it could have been much longer. Some of the tests were being done in Austin at the state health dept. and check out what their website says:
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/lab/default.shtm
After hours receipt of samples is temporarily unavailable. All packages transported through a courier (FedEx, UPS, LoneStar Overnight) will be accepted during regular business hours. Specimens submitted to Greyhound Bus Station-Austin will be picked up by laboratory staff as usual. Hand-delivered samples will be accepted only during regular business hours Monday - Friday (7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) until further notice.
Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy.
29
posted on
10/15/2014 2:44:25 PM PDT
by
bgill
(CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
To: Texas Songwriter
Yes, THPH closed the ICU and ER after admitting the first nurse and the next day sent all non-essential personnel home. You’re right about it maybe never recovering. Thanks, obola. Betting their regular patients had miraculous recoveries and signed themselves out.
Baylor and Parkland are setting up to handle future adult Ebola patients and Children’s for the kids.
30
posted on
10/15/2014 2:52:32 PM PDT
by
bgill
(CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
To: bgill
This is post 20 which I am responding to. It is the only clear explanation which I have seen. Is our response being dictated by the WHO? It seems so. Your analysis in post 21 seems to be exactly correct. What else makes sense? The only thing I can think of is Obola wants to thin the herd. He wants this pestilence to rage across the country....otherwise he would do that which is prudent....that is, close the border and ports of entry. But he and the CDC keep repeating that which is unbelievable. It does not make sense. So, I ask,........what does make sense given the situation and it seems to be what you wrote.
To: vetvetdoug
Presbyterean Hospital was a level 4 facility. It is now blown out.
To: the anti-mahdi
If Ebola infects even hazmat gowned and escapes controlled procedures and environments to infect the health care providers it will get everyone else as well. This is Ebola, a perfectly natural earthly virus, not the Andromeda strain. It does not have any supernatural ability to bypass or eat its way through proper PPE.
Keeping it contained through making sure everyone is trained in proper infection control measures is the issue here. An unknown infection could show up in any hospital at any time--all hospitals are supposed to be ready for such an occurrence. That is regardless of whether there is a small chance of Ebola showing up.
33
posted on
10/15/2014 6:19:37 PM PDT
by
exDemMom
(Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
To: Mozilla; neverdem; ProtectOurFreedom; Mother Abigail; EBH; vetvetdoug; Smokin' Joe; Global2010; ...
Bring Out Your Dead
Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.
The purpose of the Bring Out Your Dead ping list (formerly the Ebola ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.
So far the false positive rate is 100%.
At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the Bring Out Your Dead threads will miss the beginning entirely.
*sigh* Such is life, and death...
34
posted on
10/15/2014 7:22:28 PM PDT
by
null and void
("Agoraphobia": fear of the marketplace; "AlGoreaphobia": fear of the marketplace of ideas.)
To: the anti-mahdi
They weren’t using HAZMAT protection or procedures. They where using what you do for AIDS patients.
35
posted on
10/15/2014 7:28:20 PM PDT
by
redgolum
("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
To: Mozilla
We were instructed by the powers that be to carry anyone who meets criteria (yea as this thing goes wild) to certain hospitals.
The hospitals know nothing about this and say “no way.” And Dallas Presby ER is closed.
As a first responder, We live in interesting times.
36
posted on
10/15/2014 7:32:47 PM PDT
by
Clay Moore
("911 is for when the backhoe won't start." JRandomFreeper)
To: Smokin' Joe
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-37 last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson