EMS Response to the Coronavirus outbreak

[Summit]

There‘s a relevant backstory with this provider that he tends to put every thought that runs through his mind into the narrative that he doesn’t really actually feel are true, and then leaves those statements unqualified..

I didn’t tell him to stop his due diligence in patient assessment and history, I told him to not document CoronaVirus on a run that he failed to do anything related to CoronaVirus (especially notifications).

”it’s possible”.. sure.. it’s possible that literally everyone with flu like symptoms has CoronaVirus, but we shouldn’t start writing “r/o CoronaVirus“ into the narrative of every patient with the sniffles.

It is appropriate to ask a patient complaining of A (fever or cough or SOB) if they have B (been to China in the last 14 days OR had close contact with someone with corona virus). Unless A AND B are both positive, this could be documented as "negative coronavirus CDC screening."

Hopefully your call center is phone screening.

COVID-19 ARCHIVED WEBPAGE

This historical page is not up to date. Find the latest on COVID-19.

www.cdc.gov

 

[FiremanMike]

It is appropriate to ask a patient complaining of A (fever or cough or SOB) if they have B (been to China in the last 14 days OR had close contact with someone with corona virus). Unless A AND B are both positive, this could be documented as "negative coronavirus CDC screening."

Hopefully your call center is phone screening.

COVID-19 ARCHIVED WEBPAGE

This historical page is not up to date. Find the latest on COVID-19.

www.cdc.gov

I'm ok with 'negative corona virus screening', i'm not ok with "we withheld XXX treatment because of possible coronavirus" on a run where none of our infectious control folks were notified and I'm not even sure the hospital was notified.

When I asked him, he said "oh we didn't think it was coronavirus, that's why didn't notify or decon" to which I said "then don't write that you withheld XXX treatment because of coronavirus"..

 

[Summit]

 

[Chimpie]

Moderator Note: Please keep this discussion to EMS's role/response.

General Coronavirus discussion is taking place here:

Coronavirus Discussion Thread

One of the difficulties of this virus is that we're still learning about it and it's still very early on that we don't quite yet know everything about it. One thing to watch out for is that it appears that infected people are quite infectious during their prodromal period and are still shedding...

emtlife.com

Thanks!