GREENSBURG, Ind. – Decatur County Memorial Hospital is joining the list of area hospitals adding extra precautions for Ebola.
The Greensburg hospital also has plans in place to care for any patients with the respiratory enterovirus D68, which has impacted children in the Midwest.
Hospital officials say they have met with staff and doctors and also participated in phone calls with the CDC and the American Hospital Association.
The hospital has added extra infection control policies, including a special consideration for any Ebola threat.
Staff members have been trained to identify patients that pose a potential risk of Ebola, and also have been trained to put on and take off personal protective equipment.
The hospital is conducting drills to look for ways to improve the process and remain steadfast in continuously adding or modifying protective equipment.
DCMH is also utilizing isolation that provides best containment but also addresses patient comfort and needs.
“The information on this topic is changing rapidly. The information from the CDC, ANA, AHA, etc. is being reviewed by me and by David Pavey (Director of Infection Control) on a regular basis,” says Diane McKinney, Vice President of Nursing at DCMH.
“David has been evaluating our personal protective equipment, isolation procedures, and he met with certain relative doctors this week. He is working alongside other staff members to create a form to use to screen all patients at all points of entry”
Hospital officials said they do not want to alarm the community, but rather remind everyone that necessary precautions are taking place to ensure a proper response.
Signs of Ebola include a 100 degree fever or higher, and symptoms include severe headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.
Following CDC guidelines, the hospital recommends community members to protect themselves against viruses with the following precautions:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Do not touch the blood or body fluids (like urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat, and semen) of people who are sick.
- Do not handle items that may have come in contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids, like clothes, bedding, needles, or medical equipment.
