Detailed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Checklist for Ebola Preparedness: This checklist highlights key areas for EMS personnel to review in preparation for encountering and providing medical care to a person with Ebola. The checklist provides practical and specific suggestions to ensure the agency is able to help its personnel detect possible Ebola cases, protect those personnel, and respond appropriately.
Ebola Screening for EMS: This fact sheet summarizes EMS patient assessment criteria for isolation and hospital notification.
Could it be Ebola? This fact sheet helps healthcare professionals understand the warning signs of Ebola and how to evaluate the patient. It also provides a patient care checklist for patients under investigation for Ebola.
Case Definition for Ebola Virus Disease: Early recognition is critical for infection control. Health care providers should be alert for and evaluate any patients suspected of having Ebola. This case definition explains the distinction between a Person under Investigation (PUI), probable cases and confirmed cases. It also explains risk exposure levels.
PPE Selection Matrix for Occupational Exposure to Ebola Virus: Employers are responsible for ensuring that workers are protected from exposure to Ebola virus and that workers are not exposed to harmful levels of chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection.
Privacy
Bulletin: HIPAA Privacy in Emergency Situations: The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the privacy of patients’ health information (protected health information) but is balanced to ensure that appropriate uses and disclosures of the information still may be made when necessary to treat a patient, to protect the nation’s public health, and for other critical purposes.
Patient Movement
Interim U.S. Guidance for Monitoring and Movement of Persons with Potential Ebola Virus Exposure: CDC has created interim guidance for monitoring people potentially exposed to Ebola and for evaluating their intended travel, including the application of movement restrictions when indicated. This interim guidance has been updated by establishing a “low (but not zero) risk” category; adding a “no identifiable risk” category; modifying the recommended public health actions in the high, some, and low (but not zero) risk categories; and adding recommendations for specific groups and settings.
Ebola-Associated Waste Management: This document is intended to provide hospitals and healthcare providers with key information about the safe handling, transport, and disposal of waste generated from the care of persons diagnosed with or suspected of having Ebola.
Safe Handling, Treatment, Transport and Disposal of Ebola-Contaminated Waste: Learn to protect workers involved in handling, treatment, transport and disposal of medical, laboratory and other waste must be protected from exposure to Ebola and from physical and chemical hazards that may be associated with waste management tasks
Presentations
The following presentations provide templates that EMS agencies and personnel can use as templates to develop Ebola presentations for their staff. The following presentations contain information that has been cleared by ASPR and CDC.
Ebola Overview: This presentation provides an overview of the Ebola as a disease and the outbreak in West Africa. It also provides information on the goals and challenges of the response, treatment of patients, management of clinical samples, patient monitoring and more.
Frequently monitor CDC’s Ebola website and subscribe to updates from CDC for the most current information on Ebola. CDC is available 24/7 for consultation. State and local health departments with questions should contact the CDC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 770-488-7100 or via email at eocreport@cdc.gov.
