CDC releases revised Ebola gear guidelines

UPDATED WITH MORE DETAILS      

WASHINGTON POST                                                 Oct. 20, 2014

During a media briefing late Monday, CDC Director Thomas Frieden said the updated guidelines give a greater margin of safety to health-care workers. They are modeled closely on those used by Doctors Without Borders, the aid group that has worked most extensively in West Africa... The guidance also reflects the consensus of specialists at Emory University Hospital, Nebraska Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health, which are currently treating Ebola patients.

UCLA Health System doctors and staff participate in a preparedness exercise on diagnosing and treating patients with Ebola virus symptoms. On Oct. 20, the CDC tightened protocols for health-care workers explicitly recommending that no skin be exposed. (Reed Hutchinson/AP)

Previous guidelines did not make clear that all skin must be protected. They also reflected the experience of care in Africa, Frieden said. But health-care workers in the United States face greater risk in caring for Ebola patients because hospitals here use more high-risk procedures that can expose workers to more of a patient’s bodily fluids.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-issues-formal-guidelines-giving-workers-more-protection-against-ebola/2014/10/20/34dd578e-5897-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html?hpid=z3

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EARLIER STORY: CDC RELEASED NEW GUIDELINES

ASSOCIATED PRESS                  Oct. 20, 2014

ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials have released new guidelines for how health workers should gear up to treat Ebola patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the long-anticipated updates on Monday evening. Health workers have been pushing for new standards since two Dallas hospital workers were diagnosed with the disease this month after treating an Ebola patient.

The guidelines call for face shields, hoods, boot covers and other garb that leave no part of the body exposed. They also call for a trained monitor to supervise the donning and doffing of protective wear. And they call for repeated training and practice.

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http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2014/10/20/cdc-releases-revised-ebola-gear-guidelines