Ebola

Much discussion at work this week about ebola in the US. The public assurances that the outbreak would be perfectly controlled, here. And the reality of humans, nurses busy, and focused on the patient. Word leaking out of a patient who was cared for by 70 people. I don't know 70 people working in one place where I would trust every one of them to always do the right, safe, thing. Of information not passed on, or not listened to. Symptoms dismissed. Breaks in the elaborate safety gear protocols, that were not properly in place to start with. None of the staff I work with were surprized at the breaches, we know too well how often we slip up on sterility - although we correct it immediately. Or try our best to. We know that what the floors/wards call sterile, we barely consider 'clean'. And for the most part, it's adequate. And we know even what we call 'sterile' is only relatively so. It's based on what seems to work, so much of what we do has never undergone solid, double-blind, widespread studies.

When we read that they'd sent specimens through the tube system, we all slapped our heads in disbelief. Not intentional stupidity, but thoughtlessness is easily as bad. I've worked with tube systems, and know how often they are shut down because some specimen sent through leaked, and it all has to be decontaminated. So a policy is put in place that wet specimens can't go through. Then someone gets careless, again.

Our core guy wound up in urgent care with pneumonia last week. He'd gone in three days earlier, coughing blood, in amazing pain, and was sent home with tylenol. We all told him it was because he looks like a punk. Which he does, and he agrees, but assured us he made his first visit in a dress shirt - knowing how he is seen. The second doc did not treat him like a whiny drug seeker (which he is anything but), and furthermore was incensed by the initial neglect. Core Guy got the x-ray and antibiotics then, so is much better now. We suggested next time he just keep some scrubs at home, in case he needs to get treatment, since we tend to care for our own best of all. He says he's noticed this before, but never thought to do it on purpose. We've gone easy on him all week.

Awake too early, raw and worn this morning. Odd how after being so tired, I wake up even earlier. It's not right. Have to start the clean-up soon. Not that it's all that much work, just want it set to go. Then try to keep it all tidy all week.

Later, though. Later.