The declaration by Dr Thomas Frieden, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 'a protocol breach' led a the Dallas health worker's Ebola infection has not gone down too well with some healthcare experts. They criticized the CDC head saying that case, should shed light on the inadequacy of the nation's healthcare system instead, and should be used to train their staff to fight against the deadly virus.
The CDC director has called for an investigation into this matter, to know how the nurse was infected while caring Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national who died last week and was the first individual to get diagnosed with the Ebola virus in the US. Healthcare experts and infection control officials said that health workers need to be coached properly about the various stages of Ebola treatment. Apart from that, they need to be trained efficiently on how to use the equipment safely and in the right way, so as to prevent the transmission of the infection. (Read: What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?)
Although it was not clear whether the US hospital had briefed its staff with simulation drills prior to admitting the first patient, Duncan, but a recent nationwide survey suggested that some health workers do know how to deal with Ebola patients. Some experts even questioned the CDC's claim that every hospital in the US should be prepared to treat the deadly Ebola outbreak as it might spread all over the nation.
Bonnie Castillo, a registered nurse and a disaster relief expert at National Nurses United said, 'You don't scapegoat or blame the system when there is a disease outbreak. We all know that the system has failed, but all we need to do is to correct it for betterment of the future.' The Ebola outbreak that has originated earlier this year in Wet Africa has killed more than 4,000 people till date. (Read: What is the Ebola incubation period?)
The CDC has published detailed guidelines on how to deal with the Ebola outbreak, right from infectious waste to handling lab specimens to the use of protective equipment. However, the way the Ebola virus is communicated to front-line workers (mainly hospital staff and nurse) varies. Castillo said, 'In most cases, hospitals put the guidelines on bulletin boards, which is an inadequate way to deal with a deadly virus such as Ebola, as staff should run through mock drills in order to understand how to treat a real patient. (Read: How the Ebola virus spreads in humans)
Tom Skinner, CDC spokesman said that they are still investigating the case, but emphasized on the fact that 'adherence to protocol' is vital in dealing with the Ebola as a slight here-and-there might cause infection. He further said that the CDC is planning to enhance its education and training efforts to handle Ebola patients and might designate specific hospitals in each region as Ebola treatment facility. Tom Skinner said, ' Although, we have done a lot in this aspect but there is definitely more to do. The belief of transporting Ebola infected patients to these hospitals is something that we are currently looking into.' (Read: Ebola facts frequently asked questions (FAQ))
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