A Swedish hospital recently experienced a reminder that continued preparedness is vital when a patient in southern Sweden’s Skane University Hospital sought care after returning from an Ebola-affected area, according to an article on the Contagion Live website.
Following the algorithms provided by the World Health Organization and other public health agencies, the hospital placed the patient in isolation when it was discovered that they not only had relevant travel history to an affected area, but also a fever.
While the patient tested negative for Ebola, the incident is a reminder to healthcare facilities to conduct an internal audit to evaluate training and process mapping.
Despite the efforts that were put in place nationally, like the tiered health care approach to special pathogens, many in frontline facilities struggle to maintain readiness.