Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas Report on Events Related to Ebola Diagnosis October 2, 2014
On September 29, the first case of Ebola Virus Disease in the United States was diagnosed at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. The doctors, nurses and other caregivers at Texas Health Dallas continue to provide compassionate intensive care to our patient, Mr. Thomas Duncan. Mr. Duncan remains in serious condition. Texas Health Dallas is on alert for communicable diseases as we treat patients who visit our hospital, and particularly our emergency department. As a hospital, we have expertise in treating communicable diseases and have evidence-based screening processes in place. Texas Health Dallas strengthened and deployed updated communicable disease protocols on September 1, 2014.
In response to questions raised about Mr. Duncan’s first visit to the hospital emergency
department on the night of September 25th, we have thoroughly reviewed the chain of events. In the interest of transparency, and because we want other U.S. hospitals and providers to learn
from our experience, we are, with Mr. Duncan’s permission, releasing this information.
In diagnosing potential causes of infectious diseases like Ebola, Texas Health Dallas care teams are trained to look for multiple indicators, including the following:
1. Does the patient present with symptoms that indicate potential communicable disease?
Mr. Duncan presented with a temperature of 100.1F, abdominal pain for two days, a sharp headache, and decreased urination. These symptoms could be associated with many communicable diseases, as well as many other types of illness. When he was asked whether he had nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, he said no. Additio
nally, Mr. Duncan’s symptoms were not severe at the time
he first visited the hospital emergency department.
2. Has the patient been around anyone who has been ill?
When Mr. Duncan was asked if he had been around anyone who had been ill, he said that he had not.
3. Has the patient traveled outside the United States in the last four weeks?
Mr. Duncan was asked if he had traveled outside the United States in the last four weeks, and he said that he had been in Africa. The nurse entered that information in the nursing portion of the electronic medical record.
When patients visit the emergency department, they are first assessed by a triage nurse. Then an intake nurse conducts a more thorough screening process that includes:
vital signs;
general clinical assessment;
a neurological assessment; and
questions about major risk factors:
o
domestic violence;
