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Carrollton patient spurs avian flu scare
11:30 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 25, 2006
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA-TV
While the news of the 200-plus dead worldwide from the avian bird flu seems to many as something that's happening in a far away land, the United States government is handing out another quarter-billion in dollars to help states and cities prepare for an influenza pandemic.
Even closer to home, North Texans heard little when health authorities quietly investigated a likely case of bird flu.
On a Friday morning, an elderly woman stumbled through the doors of Trinity Medical Center in Carrollton.
"They signed in as they normally would do," said Stephanie Westmoreland.
But when Westmoreland looked down at the admission forms, she said alarm bells registered.
"She had been out of the country for a month and had been in Vietnam," said Michele Cross, a triage nurse.
The patient had been visiting relatives on a farm in Vietnam where chickens roamed freely and in an area dozens of people had been diagnosed with or died from bird flu.
"She was complaining of body aches and she had a fever," said Dr. Brett Roth.
The signs were something experts believed could point to a scary possibility.
"She had all the classic signs and symptoms and triggers that would make you think, you know, avian flu," said Eileen McClachlan, Infection Control director.
In a few seconds, the woman was whisked back to the emergency room and a nurse quickly took blood pressure and gave a rapid flu test.
"And when we got the rapid flu test back and it was positive, that was when we really had to get the ball in motion and call the Texas Department of Health and Infection Control nurses," Cross said.
Dr. Roth and one nurse were the only people from then on that were allowed contact with the patient.
"You have to be careful," Dr. Roth said.
The patient was placed in a room especially designed for highly infectious diseases.
"There's no circulation of air from this room into the vent systems or into the hall," Cross said.
A state trooper rushed test samples to a lab in Fort Worth.
A News 8 investigation found the Carrollton scare was one of only two legitimate avian flu investigations in Texas so far. Pandemic influenza planners from across the country have taken a close look at the case and another recently in Houston.
Hospital workers said training paid off.
"They were very excited that they knew what to do and that they felt that they had things under control," McLachlan said. "But, they were also very nervous that this could be the beginning of avian influenza here in the United States."
Six hours after the likely avian flu case showed up at Trinity Medical Center, health experts had a definite diagnosis.
"We knew that this was just a flu case," McLachlan said.
But the doctors and nurses said they now know much more than that.
"Somewhere someone will show up with avian flu in the United States," Dr. Roth said. "When it shows up, we'll be ready."
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/jstjames/stories/wfaa060725_mo_birdflu.3183e43.html
11:30 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 25, 2006
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA-TV
While the news of the 200-plus dead worldwide from the avian bird flu seems to many as something that's happening in a far away land, the United States government is handing out another quarter-billion in dollars to help states and cities prepare for an influenza pandemic.
Even closer to home, North Texans heard little when health authorities quietly investigated a likely case of bird flu.
On a Friday morning, an elderly woman stumbled through the doors of Trinity Medical Center in Carrollton.
"They signed in as they normally would do," said Stephanie Westmoreland.
But when Westmoreland looked down at the admission forms, she said alarm bells registered.
"She had been out of the country for a month and had been in Vietnam," said Michele Cross, a triage nurse.
The patient had been visiting relatives on a farm in Vietnam where chickens roamed freely and in an area dozens of people had been diagnosed with or died from bird flu.
"She was complaining of body aches and she had a fever," said Dr. Brett Roth.
The signs were something experts believed could point to a scary possibility.
"She had all the classic signs and symptoms and triggers that would make you think, you know, avian flu," said Eileen McClachlan, Infection Control director.
In a few seconds, the woman was whisked back to the emergency room and a nurse quickly took blood pressure and gave a rapid flu test.
"And when we got the rapid flu test back and it was positive, that was when we really had to get the ball in motion and call the Texas Department of Health and Infection Control nurses," Cross said.
Dr. Roth and one nurse were the only people from then on that were allowed contact with the patient.
"You have to be careful," Dr. Roth said.
The patient was placed in a room especially designed for highly infectious diseases.
"There's no circulation of air from this room into the vent systems or into the hall," Cross said.
A state trooper rushed test samples to a lab in Fort Worth.
A News 8 investigation found the Carrollton scare was one of only two legitimate avian flu investigations in Texas so far. Pandemic influenza planners from across the country have taken a close look at the case and another recently in Houston.
Hospital workers said training paid off.
"They were very excited that they knew what to do and that they felt that they had things under control," McLachlan said. "But, they were also very nervous that this could be the beginning of avian influenza here in the United States."
Six hours after the likely avian flu case showed up at Trinity Medical Center, health experts had a definite diagnosis.
"We knew that this was just a flu case," McLachlan said.
But the doctors and nurses said they now know much more than that.
"Somewhere someone will show up with avian flu in the United States," Dr. Roth said. "When it shows up, we'll be ready."
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/jstjames/stories/wfaa060725_mo_birdflu.3183e43.html
