title: Transport and Management of Patients With Confirmed or Suspected Ebola Virus Disease.
abstract: The foundation of safe care for patients with confirmed or suspected Ebola virus disease is effective infection control practice, which requires implementation of appropriate administrative policies, work practices, and environmental controls, accompanied by focused education, training, and supervision. In 2002, Emory University partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a capability for the evaluation and management of individuals with serious communicable disease. In 2005, the University of Nebraska developed a similar isolation capability. In each case, the hospitals partnered with emergency medical services (EMS) professionals to ensure safe out-of-hospital transport and management of their patients. The objectives of these hospital and out-of-hospital collaborations were to close education, training, and practice gaps to best facilitate the care for patients with serious communicable disease while ensuring the safety of the medics and the general public through meticulous implementation of infection control practices as recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The description of practices implemented by EMS teams in these communities for the transport of patients with confirmed Ebola virus disease is shared so that others might more readily implement these practices, policies, and procedures as applicable to their mission requirements and system design. Transport of patients with relevant travel history and development of illness (persons under investigation) is also included.
authors.affiliation: Section of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. Electronic address: aisakov@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isakov
authors.affiliation: Grady Emergency Medical Services, Grady Health System, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Wade
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.affiliation: Grady Emergency Medical Services, Grady Health System, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jamison
authors.affiliation: Operational Medicine, Office of Medical Services, US Department of State, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Swansiger
mesh_terms: D000552:Ambulances / Q000592:standards; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010356:Patient Isolation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011481:Protective Clothing; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards