title: U.S. Ebola Treatment Center Clinical Laboratory Support.
abstract: Fifty-five hospitals in the United States have been designated Ebola treatment centers (ETCs) by their state and local health authorities. Designated ETCs must have appropriate plans to manage a patient with confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) for the full duration of illness and must have these plans assessed through a CDC site visit conducted by an interdisciplinary team of subject matter experts. This study determined the clinical laboratory capabilities of these ETCs. ETCs were electronically surveyed on clinical laboratory characteristics. Survey responses were returned from 47 ETCs (85%). Forty-one (87%) of the ETCs planned to provide some laboratory support (e.g., point-of-care [POC] testing) within the room of the isolated patient. Forty-four (94%) ETCs indicated that their hospital would also provide clinical laboratory support for patient care. Twenty-two (50%) of these ETC clinical laboratories had biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) containment. Of all respondents, 34 (72%) were supported by their jurisdictional public health laboratory (PHL), all of which had available BSL-3 laboratories. Overall, 40 of 44 (91%) ETCs reported BSL-3 laboratory support via their clinical laboratory and/or PHL. This survey provided a snapshot of the laboratory support for designated U.S. ETCs. ETCs have approached high-level isolation critical care with laboratory support in close proximity to the patient room and by distributing laboratory support among laboratory resources. Experts might review safety considerations for these laboratory testing/diagnostic activities that are novel in the context of biocontainment care.
authors: Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors: Katelyn C
authors: KC
authors: Jelden
authors: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors: Peter C
authors: PC
authors: Iwen
authors: Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors: Jocelyn J
authors: JJ
authors: Herstein
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Preparedness, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Paul D
authors: PD
authors: Biddinger
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors: Colleen S
authors: CS
authors: Kraft
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA Department of Infection Prevention and Control, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Saiman
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors: Philip W
authors: PW
authors: Smith
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors: Angela L
authors: AL
authors: Hewlett
authors: Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA Department of Environmental Health, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
authors: Shawn G
authors: SG
authors: Gibbs
authors: Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA jjlowe@unmc.edu.
authors: John J
authors: JJ
authors: Lowe
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003264:Containment of Biohazards / Q000592:standards; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States