The condition of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) physician who contracted Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) while treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, Dr. Craig Spencer, is unchanged from yesterday. In a tweet from Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan where Spencer is being treated, hospital officials says he “remains in serious but stable condition”.
What does this mean?
Thanks to Marty for clarifying–According to HIPAA Updated Guidelines for Releasing Information on the Condition of Patients (provided by the American Hospital Association):
• Undetermined – Patient is awaiting physician and/or assessment.
• Good – Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.
• Fair – Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
• Serious – Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
• Critical – Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.
Stable means just that, stable: he isn’t becoming Critical nor is his condition improving to Fair.
In other “Ebola” news, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) and Tulsa Health Department (THD) report that a laboratory test indicates positive results for malaria in an individual in Tulsa County, who recently traveled from West Africa. An additional laboratory test is pending at the Oklahoma State Public Health Laboratory and will be completed later today.
The individual was being monitored daily by public health personnel because the person had traveled to Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone within the previous 21 days. The individual was assessed to be low risk for contracting Ebola, did not report any known exposure to persons with Ebola nor did the individual provide healthcare to an Ebola patient while in Africa. In taking all precautionary measures, a blood specimen was collected and will be sent to CDC for Ebola testing.
Late Thursday evening, the individual informed THD health officials that they had developed a fever. THD immediately implemented an isolation and clinical evaluation plan in conjunction with the Regional Medical Response System following appropriate infection control protocols. The individual was safely transported via ambulance to a local hospital for medical evaluation and care.
