Ebola outbreak - general thread #4

[LinasK]

Well, I guess I just don't understand how they missed the Africa/Ebola connection. Possibly at that time no one realized that Ebola would/could surface here in the US.

Then it could just have been an uncaring doctor. There are some of those around. Many years ago my mother who had dementia was living with me. Lots of things did not necessarily make sense but I could definitely tell when something was physically wrong with her. It seems that medical problems really blossom on the week-end, so I took her to the ER. In the presence of my mother the doctor literally got in my face & screamed, "She has dementia. You surely don't expect me to treat that!". I have to admit that at that moment I had murder in my heart. No to be deterred I took her to another hospital ER. She was diagnosed with a UTI & already had a septic infection & had to spend a week in the hospital.

A few years ago, I developed severe hives head-toe. I had to go to the ER. The ER doc insisted my reaction was an allergy to aspirin (which I was taking at the time, and it wasn't) rather than considering it was an allergic reaction to the Sulfa Antibiotic that I was on. It turned out to be the Sulfa.

 

[LinasK]

I think Duncan's mother & brother are here from North Carolina. As for Louise & her family I don't think they would be allowed to move anywhere until the 21 days is up.

I sure hope not!!!

 

[SStarr33]

Watching the press conference on http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/health/E...278805231.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_DFWBrand

You would not be sent home with 103 fever.... Since when? They give medicine and if it doesn't come down that is when you go back and they do more. The ER is just that for emergencies if you are not dying due to your fever they will send you home. Especially if nothing else seems to be going on.

Did she say that?

 

[Ladylub]

Did she say that?

She said if you were to go to the ER with 103 fever they would not send you home.

 

[LinasK]

Watching the press conference on http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/health/E...278805231.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_DFWBrand

You would not be sent home with 103 fever.... Since when? They give medicine and if it doesn't come down that is when you go back and they do more. The ER is just that for emergencies if you are not dying due to your fever they will send you home. Especially if nothing else seems to be going on.

Not true, if you have a temp that high, they should be giving you IV antibiotics.

 

[LinasK]

No, I didn't know he had a fever of 103! That's pretty darn high. His family doesn't have a reason to claim racism or that he didn't get ZMapp or a blood transfusion- there was no ZMapp and he wasn't a match. I've yet to see any words of gratitude for what they were given.

Nurses, back me here, isn't anything above 102 considering high???

 

[SStarr33]

What a bunch of numnut reporters. There is so much to ask and they are sitting their like lumps.

 

[Lyra500]

No, I didn't know he had a fever of 103! That's pretty darn high. His family doesn't have a reason to claim racism or that he didn't get ZMapp or a blood transfusion- there was no ZMapp and he wasn't a match. I've yet to see any words of gratitude for what they were given.

Someone has already posted a statement of thanks which was made by Mr Duncan's Fiance.

 

[SStarr33]

She said if you were to go to the ER with 103 fever they would not send you home.

Is she a doctor?

 

[Ladylub]

Not true, if you have a temp that high, they should be giving you IV antibiotics.

Then several ER have done that wrong, only prescriptions given and sent home with several adults that I know. That has to depend on the other symptoms and how long they were going on before anything more is done.

 

[Ladylub]

Is she a doctor?

Spokesperson for the family.

 

[SStarr33]

We are getting ready to send them millions of dollars and she is asking for more. She must not know about the money and military that are going/have gone over. Not surprising because she has been tied up with Eric.

 

[FlamingoLady]

Nurses, back me here, isn't anything above 102 considering high???

I am an RN but have not worked for 10 years. With that as a preface, I believe your idea that IV antibiotics would be given for a fever of 103 is categorically false. A temp of 102-103 is high, but not as alarming in an adult as it would be in a child. If his other vital signs were within normal range, I can honestly see them sending him home with a prescription for antibiotics. *****IF THEY DID NOT HAVE THE INFO THAT HE JUST CAME FROM LIBERIA****** That should have, IMO, lead them to isolate him and test further for Ebola.
Just my 2cents.

 

[Sonya610]

If doing things correctly yes you would get travellers insurance to ensure proper treatment etc.. You did things correctly but not everyone does. We had a foreign exchange student from Germany who also had travellers insurance.. But my daughters boyfriend from Costa Rica where they have national health care did not have travelers insurance so good thing he didn't get sick while here.

Travelers insurance is common if your home country has better health care than the country you are visiting, or if home country courts are likely to file judgements against you for hospital bills out of country. It pays for short term hospital bills, usually a small death benefit (to cover the cost if your corpse needs to be flown home), and ALSO pays to medi-vac you home on a special airplane for treatment in your own country. That last bit is super expensive.

If your Costa Rican guest got sick here he would have been treated at a decent hospital until he was able to be discharged (likely as good as anything he could have gotten in Costa Rica) and the likelihood of that U.S. hospital SUING him and actually WINNING and then Costa Rican courts actually forcing your visitor into having to PAY the U.S. hospital bill is well....basically NIL. His health care in the U.S. would have been free.

If the country you are visiting has sub-standard health care and/or they do NOT screen their blood banks for HIV, Hep, etc... then travelers insurance is a very very wise idea.

 

[faw720]

A few years ago, I developed severe hives head-toe. I had to go to the ER. The ER doc insisted my reaction was an allergy to aspirin (which I was taking at the time, and it wasn't) rather than considering it was an allergic reaction to the Sulfa Antibiotic that I was on. It turned out to be the Sulfa.

I can totally sympathize with you. I had a similar situation a while back.

We know that all humans make mistakes. It's just that when doctors make a mistake the outcome is at the best extremely uncomfortable & at the worst deadly.

 

[WideOpen]

Hello-
I can't find any update about his family nor any of the "x" number of people that are being monitored. CNN was speaking with the girlfriend via telephone 'couple of days ago but now...nothing although statement attributed to her are being released. Anyone found a site that has current status of any other quarantined people other than a news article just saying "contacts being monitored"

Good question. Anyone?

I havent found anything. I am very curious about this myself. I envision them in a beefed up experimental lab being poked, prodded, and invaded by men in ebola space suits. IMO, it has been so quiet regarding the immediate family members, just makes me wonder...

JMO

 

[angelainwi]

BREAKING: Plane quarantined at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas due to possible Ebola exposure

 

[Sophieandme]

http://m.livescience.com/48141-how-doctors-test-for-ebola.html
However, this test can be negative during the first three days an infected person has symptoms, said Dr. Sandro Cinti, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of Michigan Hospital System/Ann Arbor VA Health System.
"Somebody could be in the hospital for three to five days before a diagnosis [of Ebola] is confirmed," Cinti told Live Science. "The important thing is keeping the patient isolated until you can get to a diagnosis." Meanwhile, doctors will be running tests to rule out other diseases, such as malaria, which can be detected more quickly than Ebola, he said.

Thank you SweetT.

So, it looks like 3-5 days after showing symptoms, you can have a false negative Ebola test. I must assume that all healthcare workers have this info and continue to test for Ebola while they keep the patient isolated, assuming they continue having symptoms and other illnesses are ruled out. Do we think they are following this protocol in W. Africa, i.e. retesting? How long does it take to get an Ebola test result in Liberia?

I do worry about asymptomatic carriers shedding the virus. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have seen no one in W. Africa indicating such. However, how would you ever know?! Since it appears they are only testing pp. that have Ebola symptoms and that have been exposed. I assume we would be told only if enough Ebola victims started showing up where medical staff can't explain how they were exposed.

Also, I didn't know about the 2 Ebola tests. This source claims the test focusing on genetic code is better than the one looking for antibodies. How long does it take for antibodies to appear?

IMO, I must say again, we need a reliable rapid ebola test available to all healthcare facilities. I hope this is a stat priority.

 

[Sonya610]

Good question. Anyone?

I havent found anything. I am very curious about this myself.

Who? Duncan's "family?"

 

[SweetT]

Who? Duncan's "family?"

Yea that's what they were asking about.. If they're still OK now that would be a good sign.