This week, two health care workers at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas have tested positive for Ebola.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first positive test on Sunday. The second positive test was confirmed by the state public health laboratory in Austin very early this morning. A confirmatory test will be conducted by the CDC today. Both health care workers helped care for Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States.
“This development is concerning to many, but it does not change what we are doing and have been doing at our own hospital,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace. “We want to keep our patients and their families safe, but we’re also intensely focused on keeping our physicians, staff and employees as safe as possible as well. We remain very confident in our preparedness plan.”
To date, there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Houston. And more specifically, there have been no confirmed cases of Ebola at Texas Children’s Hospital. Nonetheless, Texas Children’s is preparing thoroughly in the event that we do receive a patient with suspected Ebola symptoms.
Initial contact and protective equipment
The most hazardous times for a health care worker are the initial patient encounter at the Emergency Center or other entry point before the diagnosis is known, and during the removal of protective equipment used when caring for a known case.
“Our simulation training has emphasized proper protocol specifically at these time points,” said Texas Children’s Physician-in-Chief Dr. Mark Kline. “We know that the CDC protocols are effective when 100 percent of the protocols are followed 100 percent of the time.
“A single lapse in following proper procedure can lead to contamination and infection. When protocols are followed properly, every single time, the virus can be contained. That’s why we will continue to run simulations and ensure personnel in areas most likely to come into contact with an Ebola patient are properly trained to implement our protocols at all times.”
Training for targeted health care workers
Kline emphasized that training is both thorough and targeted. Staff who work in areas most likely to come into contact with a suspected Ebola patient are receiving the appropriate training to screen and/or care for these patients, according to staff specific roles. However, most staff and employees will never come in contact with an Ebola patient that may be treated here, so it is not necessary to train all clinical personnel.
And while there is deliberate preparation underway to ready the organization for a possible Ebola patient, leaders emphasize that staff and employees must remain focused on caring for all of our patients.
“Yes, it’s important to be prepared for the suspected Ebola patient who might walk into the hospital, but today, there are many other patients here who don’t have Ebola, and they need our focused care and attention,” said Executive Vice President John Nickens. “We continue to see thousands of patients every day across our system, and they need us to remain calm and focused on our mission of providing them with the best possible care.”
Leaders in Nursing, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Infection Control and other areas meet daily, constantly assessing the most current information available from the CDC and the World Health Organization to refine our plan appropriately. They echo Nickens’ emphasis on remaining calm and purposeful.
“There is a lot of hysteria out there right now,” Kline said. “But our staff and employees are educated. They understand science. We are health care providers, and as such, it’s our responsibility to spread facts, not hysteria. We have an opportunity here to be educated ambassadors and share correct, purposeful information.”
Where to find more information
Texas Children’s Ebola response and readiness information is updated regularly on Connect, so check back often for the latest information. Click below for previous articles
Oct. 4. – Suspected Ebola case tested at West Campus, result negative
Oct. 2. – Texas Children’s confident, prepared in face of Dallas Ebola concern
Sept. 17 – Texas Children’s prepared but not anticipating Ebola virus
Also, current, accurate information can be found online on the websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) and the World Health Organization (www.who.int).