yorkietalkjilly | 10-03-2014 07:13 AM | Quote:
Originally Posted by megansmomma
(Post 4492989)
Yes, Universal Precautions are supposed to be used on all patients at all times. Healthcare workers are all taught in the very beginning of schooling (first day of call and then it's drilled in forever) that you need to treat everyone as if they are contagious at all time. But those are very basic steps like wearing gloves and washing hands between patients. Which is in no way enough protection from something like. In the OR where surgeons hardly ever wear more than their personal glasses if they know someone has AIDS (especially) which is a blood borne virus EVERYONE in the room including the surgeon is on high alert. EVERYONE double gloves, wears full eye protection, extra cautious with sharps, the cleaning staff uses extra precaution when cleaning the OR after surgery etc. You do not play around with a blood borne virus and that would include Ebola. So on that thought, I disagree regarding disinfecting the ambulance properly with a quick wipe down with a couple Cavicide wipes would be an adequate cleaning of this ambulance. Believe me if they would have know sooner that there was an Ebola patient in their ambulance there is no way wiping a railing down with a little Cavicide would have been consider disinfected. The virus can live on hard surfaces for up to 6 hours. How would you tell where his bodily fluids splashed about inside the ambulance? It would be impossible so that is the core reason that a quick wipe down is not appropriate in this situation. | These men and women of Emergency Medical Services and Paramedic services are highly trained and aware that they must handle, transport and disinfect after patients as if their own lives depend on their protective measures being 100% effective, as most of them have families with small children, wives, parents, not to mention a community, depending on them. Those who attain the position of Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic are all highly-motivated, dedicated and purpose driven people who take on responsibility naturally. All I've met are extremely cognizant of the high risk they take with each patient, seeing each one as a potential bio-hazard even if the patient presents with a leg fracture or chest pain/SOB.
There are no rampant disease outbreaks among EMT's/Paramedics or their transported patients - and they face highly infectious and contagious pathogens and bio-hazards in and around the ambulance and their other life-saving equipment - daily, so I think we can rest assured they take every precaution with after-patient care, wipe downs with powerful solutions, steaming, power washes, drapings/sheeting and equipment, including ambulance, exchanges, etc. They know their lives and that of their own families and their community depend on how thorough and efficient they are at their jobs.
The only reason this disease has become an epidemic in Western Africa is lack of quarantine of highly contagious patients, contact follow-up/monitoring or even the most basic of protective, containment, waste disposal and disinfectant measures, not to mention personally patting, hugging, cleaning/re-dressing and carrying dead Ebola patients during the community grieving and burial rituals. Until America and other countries stepped up widespread community education and put proper medical and social protocols in place and provided the materials, sites and administrative processes to do it, there was basically nothing to stop the disease. Now, with more and more countries stepping up to help, the disease will be eventually be contained. |