Norovirus Outbreak Can Spread to EMTs and Paramedics

Staff at a local assisted living facility begins to notice increased incidence of vomiting, nausea and diarrhea among its residents. ALS ambulances are called to transport seven patients, with several other BLS transports completed by private ambulance companies. Your partner participates in four separate patient transports from the facility. Two of these patients are actively vomiting, a third is complaining of abdominal pain without vomiting, and a fourth suffered a ground-level fall. The vomiting patient is unable to ambulate to the stretcher and is lifted with cross-chest method, so your partner's face, nose and mouth were in close proximity to the patient. She wears gloves during all patient care activities, utilizes hand sanitizer gel upon glove removal, and performs handwashing with soap and water after the patients are transferred to the receiving ED. The distance from the patient's home to the receiving facility is approximately two miles, resulting in less than 10 minutes of transport time. That evening, the local health department is notified of a potential virus outbreak and begins investigating. Two days later, your agency receives official notification from the local health department that an outbreak of gastrointestinal (GI) illness was underway at the assisted living facility, with a presumption that norovirus was the causative agent. Initial cultures for common GI pathogens are negative. That same day, your partner begins to experience nausea and vomiting. Sh...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Care Source Type: news