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The Ebola crisis is forcing the American healthcare system to consider the previously unthinkable: withholding some medical interventions because they are too dangerous to doctors and nurses and unlikely to help a patient.

U.S. hospitals have over the years come under criticism for undertaking measures that prolong dying rather than improve patients' quality of life.

But the care of the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States, who received dialysis and intubation and infected two nurses caring for him, is spurring hospitals and medical associations to develop the first guidelines for what can reasonably be done and what should be withheld.

Officials from at least three hospital systems interviewed by Reuters said they were considering whether to withhold individual procedures or leave it up to individual doctors to determine whether an intervention would be performed.

Ethics experts say they are also fielding more calls from doctors asking what their professional obligations are to patients if healthcare workers could be at risk.

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

Aylee, may I again point out, there are only four hospitals in the US with facilities to actually contain Ebola and be 99.999999999% effective at preventing its spread with a total capacity of 12 beds in this country?

We are talking facilities that were designed to deal with the equivalent of weaponized diseases.

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ORIGINAL: Sanity


I know a critical care nurse who says she and the majority of her coworkers will quit rather than care for ebola patients

And that only one fool in the entire hospital has signed up to be certified to care for ebola patients

So no, hospitals shouldnt be forced to self destruct. Thats insane.

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ORIGINAL: Aylee

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

Aylee, may I again point out, there are only four hospitals in the US with facilities to actually contain Ebola and be 99.999999999% effective at preventing its spread with a total capacity of 12 beds in this country?

We are talking facilities that were designed to deal with the equivalent of weaponized diseases.

Because of the dangers with disrobing without lots and lots of practice and the dangers with invasive procedures, is why I said that I lean towards NOT requiring care or treatment. Which is not the same as saying to put them in the alley to live or die on their own.

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

Sure you do. The nurse who brings you your meds is not a representative sample.

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

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ORIGINAL: Aylee

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

Aylee, may I again point out, there are only four hospitals in the US with facilities to actually contain Ebola and be 99.999999999% effective at preventing its spread with a total capacity of 12 beds in this country?

We are talking facilities that were designed to deal with the equivalent of weaponized diseases.

Because of the dangers with disrobing without lots and lots of practice and the dangers with invasive procedures, is why I said that I lean towards NOT requiring care or treatment. Which is not the same as saying to put them in the alley to live or die on their own.

Aylee, I did not say that, however, to be blunt, the hospital in Dallas did its best and two nursed caught the disease. Doctors in full bio hazard suits have caught the disease in Africa.

Hell, most hospitals dont have isolation wards, rooms or anything close.

Then you have a President who has done absolutely squat since the first case showed up here in Texas, except talk.

Im not saying dont treat them, but be ready for America the Ebola pandemic of 2014.

And I am also saying that Oblunder better get off his ass and get something done to make sure that dont happen, the the new Texas voting law will be the least of the democrats worries.

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ORIGINAL: Sanity

And that only one fool in the entire hospital has signed up to be certified to care for ebola patients

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ORIGINAL: Politesub53
Now you are labelling someone a fool for trying to help Ebola patients..... Could you sink any lower ? (Rhetorical question )

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ORIGINAL: Sanity

Normal people place a high value on self preservation

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Like, say, police, firemen, soldiers, medics . . .

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Like, say, police, firemen, soldiers, medics . . .

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ORIGINAL: Sanity


Trained professionals get this disease all the time, therefore it has a very bad reputation among reasonable professionals.


New York officials: Doctor has Ebola, 1st in city

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ORIGINAL: Aylee

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Like, say, police, firemen, soldiers, medics . . .

Not a 50% chance of having your organs liquify in those professions.

Training for this kind of thing takes more than a 4 hour class. (I choose that amount of time because it was what was given to our soldiers.)

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ORIGINAL: Sanity

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ORIGINAL: Aylee

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Like, say, police, firemen, soldiers, medics . . .

Not a 50% chance of having your organs liquify in those professions.

Training for this kind of thing takes more than a 4 hour class. (I choose that amount of time because it was what was given to our soldiers.)

Firemen don't go rushing headlong into near certain death for lost causes. Nor do soldiers, policemen, or medics.

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

They don't? Do you really think those fire crews thought they could fight the fires in the WTC on 9/11?

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When the first nurse in Texas became infected with Ebola, one of the first things that the CDC said was that it was the nurse's fault. She must not have used proper protocol for protection. When the 2nd nurse was possibly infected, many people blamed her for flying. The CDC did not even mention right away that the nurse checked with the CDC many times prior to flying. They just let her "hang" on her own, not backing her up at all. If a hazmat suit is required in order to treat that patient, then why didn't the CDC start advising hospitals to train it's employees on proper use just in case? It isn't something that can be trained properly in a day. It takes practice, it involves a buddy system. They went on about how we should not be worried about Ebola in the U.S. Out of 50 plus employees in our local critical care unit, only 1 nurse was even remotely interested in training how to take care of an Ebola patient. In the other 2 critical care units in the city, so far, not one of their nurses is willing to take part in the training. Right now, after much discussion amongst ourselves, we know that if for some reason we become infected, it would not surprise any of us if somehow the nurse will be "blamed". Somehow it will be all her fault for not practicing proper protocol, even if it was done; therefore, it would not fall under workman's comp.

I love my job. I can't imagine doing anything else for a living. At the same time, I have a family and children that I care deeply for. Why would I risk my health and my family with a disease that has a high mortality rate? I take care of patients with HIV, hepatitis and many other diseases and know how to practice proper precautions to take care of them; I am not worried at all about taking care of these patients. Ebola is so much more dangerous that I am not willing to risk it at all. In sixteen years, I have never been trained in hazmat. That's not a common thing we practice.