Question

While on a clinical rotation in the emergency department. I met Sylvia Wu, a 17-year old woman who had just arrived back in the US after a visit to her family in mainland China. She came to the emergency department because she woke up that morning with flu0like symptoms (cough, sore throat, fever, muscle aches, fatigue) and was terrified because of everything she had seen on the television and read in the newspapers about the latest virus. Of the 64 people who have died already, she knows that most the cases are is Asia. She came to the emergency department begging to be told that she doesn’t have the virus but just fatigue or a cold. I want to calm her, but I honestly know what she has. Besides, I am starting to feel a bit anxious myself because the one thing everyone knows about this virus is the fact that it is extremely “contagious.” I could feel myself recoil when Sylvia sneezed.

How do you think you would respond in a similar situation? Why?

How might the transmission of the infection have been prevented?

Answer 1

1.I will give positive reinforcement to the patient accompany the parents and explain about the diseases, pathogenesis, modes of transmission and treatment modalities. Reduce the anxiety of the patient by providing comfort via effctive commucommunication

2.

• providing isolation room to the patient.
• Placing signage board patient doorside.
• Standard precaution including personal protective equipment.
• Biomedical waste management.
• Teach the patient about the steps of hand hygiene.
• Limit the patient visitors.
• Handling the body fluid of patient carefully.