(Newswire.net — October 31, 2014) Ramsey, New Jersey — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its latest iteration of PPE recommendations for health care workers caring for patients with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), and the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine is keeping Urgent Care owners up to date on the vital facts.
The new guidance is a long overdue adoption of the Doctors Without Borders protocol that reflects the efficient transmission of this very contagious and deadly virus. For those in direct contact with sick patients, especially near the end of life, the added precautions and strict donning and doffing rules are welcome protections. But, there’s a problem. The new protocols are intended for health care workers caring for sick EVD patients and in direct contact with their infected bodily fluids. There is no guidance for health care workers in ambulatory settings who have merely screen and transfer responsibilities. So, it is up to members of the urgent care community to create sound policy and procedure that makes sense and limits the disruption and fear while adequately protecting staff, patients, and businesses. JUCM has a resources page for urgent care centers that now contains:
- Commentary on PPE Guidelines
- Ebola Policy & Procedures – two options
- Ebola Q&A
- New CDC PPE Guidelines
- CDC Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Screening guidelines.
About Journal of Urgent Care Medicine
JUCM The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine supports the evolution of urgent care medicine by creating content that addresses both the clinical practice of urgent care medicine and the practice management challenges of keeping pace with an ever-changing healthcare marketplace. As the Official Publication of the Urgent Care Association of America and the Urgent Care College of Physicians, JUCM seeks to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and to expand on the core competencies of urgent care medicine as they apply to physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.