Alabama | Dept of Public Health monitors new cases of hand, foot and mouth disease
Montgomery | 14 Feb 2012
The Alabama Department of Public Health asks the public to be aware that cases of the contagious viral illness called hand, foot and mouth disease are more numerous and severe than normal in Alabama this winter. No known deaths have resulted from the virus, although there have been hospitalizations and there can be some rare, severe complications.
As of Feb. 10, the ADPH has interviewed patients and collected and submitted specimens to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for individuals with febrile illnesses and rash. Based on the results of testing done by the CDC, the Coxsackie A6 virus has been identified. This specific type of virus has been identified in other countries but has not previously been associated with an outbreak in the U.S. There is no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease.
“As this is a new virus for our population, we can expect more cases and are monitoring for any change in the clinical presentation,” Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer, said. “We will continue statewide surveillance on severe cases of this emerging disease and ask physicians and infection control specialists to make notifications to us.”
The public should not be unduly alarmed at this time; however, individuals diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease need to follow the recommendations of their health care provider to remain at home until they have no fever, all lesions have scabbed over, and no lesions have appeared for two days.
The viral disease affects the hands, feet and mouth and usually infects infants and children younger than 5 years old in summer and early autumn. There is no vaccine to protect against it, but learning about the disease and following these recommendations can reduce the risk of illness.
Hand, foot and mouth disease spreads:
• Person-to-person: Direct contact with saliva, sputum or nasal mucus from the infected person’s nose and throat or with fluid in blisters, or with stool.
• Surface-to-person: Touching objects and surfaces touched by infected persons.
• Infected persons are most contagious during the first week of the illness, but can still pass the virus for weeks after symptoms have gone away.
These are the symptoms:
• Fever, rash, sores, poor appetite, a vague feeling of illness and sore throat.
• Painful sores in the mouth may blister and become ulcers.
• Skin rash, flat or raised red spots, develops over 1 to 2 days.
• Rash usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet and may appear on the knees, elbows, bottom or genital area.
• Dehydration may occur because of painful mouth sores.
Recommendations to protect yourself and prevent its spread:
• Wash hands with soap and water carefully and frequently, especially after going to the bathroom, after changing diapers, and before preparing foods or beverages.
• Disinfect surfaces and items, including toys. First wash the items with soap and water; then disinfect them with a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach and 4 cups of water.
• Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging or sharing eating utensils or cups with infected people.
Health care providers are being asked to notify the Alabama Department of Public Health if higher than normal numbers of cases are being hospitalized with hand, foot and mouth disease symptoms. Please call (800) 338-8374 immediately for hospitalized cases.
Alabama | Gov Bentley declares State of Emergency as severe weather outbreak impacts the state
Montgomery | 23 Jan 2012
Governor Robert Bentley has a declared a State of Emergency for all 67 Alabama counties as a result of severe weather impacting the state. By declaring a State of Emergency, the Governor authorizes the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies to assist communities and make the appropriate assessments of damage.
Tornados, severe thunderstorms, hail, and straight line winds have begun moving into the state. There are at least seven counties reporting damage with the most extensive damage in Jefferson and Chilton counties.
“Our Emergency Management Agency will continue to monitor this severe weather and will be prepared for any potential impact on our communities. State agencies are on call and ready to assist communities,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “I urge Alabamians to heed weather warnings to protect their families, homes and businesses. The severe weather outbreak of last year is still fresh on our minds and is a reminder that we must take the threat of severe weather seriously.”
The State Emergency Operations Center has upgraded its activation level. Additional staff is on hand to monitor the system, as well as monitoring for potential resource requests from Alabama counties.
Alabama | Emergencia: Can you communicate? Training opportunity
Lincoln, Tuscaloosa | 17 Jan 2012
This special populations training will be held January 31, 2012 in Lincoln, Alabama and again on February 14, 2012 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
These trainings will cover the top 10-15 words and phrases you need to know when treating a non-English speaking patient.
The January training will be held at the East Alabama EMS office at 58 Speedway Industrial Drive (map). Registration is open until January 24.
The February training will be held at the Tuscaloosa Fire Department Logistics Center (map). Registration is open until February 7.
Alabama | Tornado-impacted residents asked to participate in telephone survey
Birmingham | As Alabamians continue recovering from the devastating tornadoes of April 27, public health authorities are exploring ways to lessen the overall destruction of lives and property in future disasters.
Storm survivors from north and central Alabama are being asked to assist by volunteering for a telephone survey which will be conducted beginning Jan. 9, 2012.
“We are committed to helping Alabama prepare for the future by increasing our capabilities to prevent injuries during storms,” State Health Officer Dr. Donald Williamson said. “We will greatly appreciate and value the cooperation and participation of persons who were directly impacted by the tornadoes.”
This effort is part of an ongoing collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi-Aid response and the Alabama departments of Public Health and Mental Health to learn more about the benefits of underground shelters, as well as different types of housing construction and shelter locations.
Individuals whose home or property were damaged, persons injured in the storm, and survivors who were not injured are asked to either call ADPH toll free at 1-855-228-3777 or enter their contact information online at adph.org. People who wish to participate will be asked for their name and telephone number and will be called back to schedule a 20- to 30-minute phone interview.
Interviewers will include volunteer students from Miles College, Tuskegee University, the University of South Alabama, and staff from the CDC. All surveyors will provide a telephone number for identity verification. The phone interview should take between 20 and 30 minutes to complete.
Alabama | EMS brings 12-lead technology and medications to save lives
Montgomery AL | Time is critical in saving lives after a patient suffers a heart attack, and many patients in Baldwin and Mobile counties now benefit from a coordinated system of life-saving treatment. It begins when 9-1-1 is called and paramedics perform early 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) while en route to the hospital.
Capt. Jack Busby of the Mobile Fire Department is enthusiastic about the advanced system that can mean the difference between life and death, depending on the patient’s condition. He said, “Our firemedics bring the technology and medications of the emergency room to the patient’s side.”
ECGs are usually done in hospital emergency rooms to aid in the diagnosis of a heart attack
and monitor heart rhythm. An early ECG saves precious minutes by allowing the patient to go straight from the ambulance to the cardiac catheterization laboratory where blocked arteries can be opened.
Medical authorities associate delays in receiving angioplasty with higher mortality in heart attack patients, and time to treatment should be as short as possible. As much as 40 minutes can be saved by having the ECG and medications prior to hospital arrival. It can take up to 10 minutes to perform the ECG in the emergency department plus 30 minutes call-back time for the catheterization lab team to arrive if they are not already in the hospital.
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend a 90-minute door-to-balloon coronary angioplasty time to restore blood flow to the heart. Time saved prior to hospital admission can help preserve the heart muscle.
“Ninety minutes is the national standard time, but our system in Baldwin County has greatly improved on that time,” Jamie Hinton of Medstar Emergency Medical Service said. “We have it down to a science.”
The following is an example of how the system works. In a recent situation in southern Baldwin County, a patient with chest pains phoned EMS at 1:30 a.m. and the 9-1-1 operator received pertinent information and instructed the patient to take an aspirin. After the EMTs arrived and set out for the hospital, they placed a 12-lead ECG monitor on his chest and transmitted the results to an on-call cardiologist. The inexpensive system used a Bluetooth connection to a cell phone to send the results to a server. The server sent it out as a fax to the hospital. The medics placed the patient on oxygen, established two intravenous lines, and administered the appropriate medications.
Meanwhile at the hospital, the cardiologist, several nurses and technicians all mobilized to
respond quickly. Just 39 minutes later the patient underwent a blockage-clearing procedure at the catheterization laboratory. Now recovered, the patient credited the team with saving his life by their early diagnosis and preparation.
While the technology to expedite 12-lead ECGs in ambulances has existed for a number of
years, Springhill Medical Center in Mobile and the three facilities in Baldwin County (Thomas Hospital, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center and North Baldwin Infirmary) are among the hospitals in Alabama that use this effective system.
The approved cardiac catheterization lab in Baldwin County is located at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, so patients from more distant areas of the county are first taken to the hospital closest to them. While remaining on their stretcher, they are treated with thrombolytic drugs to dissolve blood clots and then are sent directly to Thomas Hospital’s cath lab.
Staff members from the hospitals meet monthly to help improve the system. When an issue that needs to be corrected arises, the cardiologists and others members of the coordinated team track it down and solve it.
Similar to the Baldwin County system, Springhill Medical Center provides continual feedback to the Mobile Fire Rescue Department to address any delays or other areas for improvement as well as celebrate successes. In a recent incident, Mobile Fire Rescue helped to cut the time from entering the hospital door to angioplasty time to a record of just 19 minutes. The Mobile Fire Department’s quality assurance team has a direct line of communication to Springhill’s cath lab. The interaction between both entities benefits all involved, but most importantly the patients and the care they receive.
“This enhances the quality of life for heart attack patients,” Ann Eubanks, Springhill’s
Cardiovascular Service Line coordinator said. “We coordinate and communicate back to Mobile Fire Rescue how they do, because the times are an incentive to improve overall quality. We want to improve the outcome for the patient, and we couldn’t do it without the EMS side.”
Anyone with symptoms of a heart attack is advised to call 9-1-1 immediately and rely on the trained paramedics who will provide pre-hospital treatment and transport the victim to a hospital.
By arriving by ambulance, patients can also bypass the emergency room. Heart attack patients should not drive themselves to the hospital and should only be driven there by someone else if absolutely necessary.
AL – ADPH works on screening and followup of TB case at Troy University
Montgomery — On Nov. 4, Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) officials notified Troy University of plans to investigate a suspected case of pulmonary tuberculosis identified in a Troy University student enrolled on the Troy campus. ADPH and Troy University are working closely to ensure that university students and employees will be screened quickly.
The local health department is communicating regularly with Troy University to keep its faculty, administration and students updated on this ongoing process.
Dr. Mary McIntyre, Assistant State Health Officer for Disease Control and Prevention, stated, “We are working very closely with Troy University to develop and implement a screening plan. As with any identified case of tuberculosis in Alabama, ADPH will implement precautionary testing, investigation and control measures.”
On Nov. 7, ADPH and university officials began visiting students enrolled in classes with the student to identify those who might have been in close contact with the student. In addition, the university is identifying close friends of the student for assessment. According to the ADPH, “close contact” is defined generally as spending an extended amount of time with the subject in a physically close environment.
Tuberculosis is a treatable and preventable disease. Persons who were in close contact with the suspect case will be rapidly assessed and appropriate preventive measures taken, according to ADPH officials. The Department of Public Health recommends that only those who were in close contact with the student need to be tested.
Troy University officials said the student presented documentation indicating a negative test for tuberculosis prior to admission to the University, which is required by Troy University policy.