While staff worried about their own exposure and whether they had exposed their families, the patient was still critically ill and needed care and acute testing.
Then, just 24 hours after the patient had been admitted, it was determined that he did not have Ebola or any other viral hemorrhagic fever.
But “we still didn’t have a diagnosis,” said Dr. Blondeau.
He ordered routine microbiology testing on all the specimens. A day later, it looked like the culprit was Staphylococcus aureus. Further testing confirmed that it was indeed S. aureus and that it was a methicillin-susceptible strain.
Officials and staff went back to routine care processes.
In retrospect, there was much to be concerned about, said Dr. Blondeau. Use of personal protective equipment was inconsistent, which could have led to exposures. There was uncertainty about how to keep the environment clean, including linens and uniforms. For instance, he noted, many health care staff wear uniforms to work or wear them home. “Is this a practice we should be endorsing?” he asked.
There were potential problems with the physical space; for instance, some patient room doors did not close tightly.
On the plus side, no staff refused to care for the patient or to do what was asked, said Dr. Blondeau.
The entire 96-hour experience “was exciting but it was terrifying,” he said.
The lack of preparedness and the lack of a more tightly-knit lab system in the U.S. and Canada are warning signs, he said.
“The reality is we’re only the next landing flight away from a potential infectious disease threat,” said Dr. Blondeau.
On Aug. 1, Saskatoon health authorities received an alert that a passenger on an inbound flight from Senegal had many of the symptoms of a viral hemorrhagic fever: vomiting, diarrhea, and headache. They put their response system in place, and “were much better prepared the second time around,” he said, adding, “but we aren’t where we need to be.”
Dr. Blondeau reported having no conflicts of interest.
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