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Health scare at Southwestern Medical Center
Aug 9, 2007 09:57 AM
Lawton_The patient who caused Tuesday's health scare at Southwestern Medical Center has been released and health officials say the patient is doing well. The patient showed up at the Medical Center with a strange rash and caused the hospital to go on lock down Tuesday night for about an hour. They were afraid it might be contagious. There were hints that it might have been an outbreak of smallpox.
But, they decided it wasn't a communicable disease after photos were sent to both the CDC and the Health Department. But what if it were? Just what is the procedure at hospital's if there is a threat? Southwestern Medical Center says communication.
When events like that happen, they have a plan. They've been trained for just such an occurrence. Chief of Staff Dr. Hoover's fast action kept things under control. "The actual process involves containment and if it can be contained into one part of the building, it will be shut down," she said. That means shutting of the air conditioning and ventilation as well as keeping people out of the immediate area. Then, they notify the State Health Department and send out specimens.
"It's our goal is to very quickly and rapidly work with the Doctor, the lab, State Health Department identify who was exposed, where they got exposed, and prevent it from going any further," said Hoover. And that's why the patient was immediately quarantined and everyone kept in the hospital until they received word that all was clear.
"The patient's been released from the Emergency Room. The child is doing very well," Hoover told us. "They do have a skin rash but it is not felt to be a communicable disease that is any threat to the community."
Teamwork contained what could have been a possible threat. In this case Administrators, Physicians and Nurses all worked together and all worked out for the best.
Health scare at Southwestern Medical Center
Aug 9, 2007 09:57 AM
Lawton_The patient who caused Tuesday's health scare at Southwestern Medical Center has been released and health officials say the patient is doing well. The patient showed up at the Medical Center with a strange rash and caused the hospital to go on lock down Tuesday night for about an hour. They were afraid it might be contagious. There were hints that it might have been an outbreak of smallpox.
But, they decided it wasn't a communicable disease after photos were sent to both the CDC and the Health Department. But what if it were? Just what is the procedure at hospital's if there is a threat? Southwestern Medical Center says communication.
When events like that happen, they have a plan. They've been trained for just such an occurrence. Chief of Staff Dr. Hoover's fast action kept things under control. "The actual process involves containment and if it can be contained into one part of the building, it will be shut down," she said. That means shutting of the air conditioning and ventilation as well as keeping people out of the immediate area. Then, they notify the State Health Department and send out specimens.
"It's our goal is to very quickly and rapidly work with the Doctor, the lab, State Health Department identify who was exposed, where they got exposed, and prevent it from going any further," said Hoover. And that's why the patient was immediately quarantined and everyone kept in the hospital until they received word that all was clear.
"The patient's been released from the Emergency Room. The child is doing very well," Hoover told us. "They do have a skin rash but it is not felt to be a communicable disease that is any threat to the community."
Teamwork contained what could have been a possible threat. In this case Administrators, Physicians and Nurses all worked together and all worked out for the best.
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