Biomaterial Database

Policy for managing a community infectious disease outbreak. 1991

R M Frace, and J A Jahre

St. Luke's Hospital, Infection Control Department, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

OBJECTIVE To identify guidelines for the management of an infectious disease emergency. METHODS In February 1990, the discovery of hepatitis A in three foodhandlers prompted city and state health officials to offer mass immunization to residents of several counties in eastern Pennsylvania. In an attempt to facilitate the immunization effort, local hospitals were asked to establish and staff clinics to supplement the efforts of the health bureaus. RESULTS Over a four-week period, combined efforts resulted in approximately 10,000 people receiving immunization with immune serum globulin (IgG). CONCLUSIONS This was one of several infectious disease emergencies the community has faced in the recent past. Recognizing that future incidents of this nature are likely to occur, one 435-bed community teaching hospital devised an infectious disease emergency policy that allows for rapid deployment of personnel and services in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010414	Pennsylvania	State bounded on the north by New York and Lake Erie, on the east by Delaware and New Jersey, on the south by Delaware and Maryland, and on the west by Ohio and West Virginia.
D002985	Clinical Protocols	Precise and detailed plans for the study of a medical or biomedical problem and/or plans for a regimen of therapy.	Protocols, Clinical,Research Protocols, Clinical,Treatment Protocols,Clinical Protocol,Clinical Research Protocol,Clinical Research Protocols,Protocol, Clinical,Protocol, Clinical Research,Protocols, Clinical Research,Protocols, Treatment,Research Protocol, Clinical,Treatment Protocol
D003140	Communicable Disease Control	Programs of surveillance designed to prevent the transmission of disease by any means from person to person or from animal to man.	Flatten the Curve of Epidemic,Flattening the Curve, Communicable Disease Control,Parasite Control,Control, Communicable Disease,Control, Parasite
D004196	Disease Outbreaks	Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.	Outbreaks,Infectious Disease Outbreaks,Disease Outbreak,Disease Outbreak, Infectious,Disease Outbreaks, Infectious,Infectious Disease Outbreak,Outbreak, Disease,Outbreak, Infectious Disease,Outbreaks, Disease,Outbreaks, Infectious Disease
D004630	Emergencies	Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results.	Emergency
D006506	Hepatitis A	INFLAMMATION of the LIVER in humans caused by a member of the HEPATOVIRUS genus, HUMAN HEPATITIS A VIRUS. It can be transmitted through fecal contamination of food or water.	Hepatitis, Infectious,Infectious Hepatitis,Hepatitides, Infectious,Infectious Hepatitides
D006764	Hospitals, Community	Institutions with permanent facilities and organized medical staff which provide the full range of hospital services primarily to a neighborhood area.	Community Hospital,Community Hospitals,Hospital, Community
D006784	Hospitals, Teaching	Hospitals engaged in educational and research programs, as well as providing medical care to the patients.	Hospital, Teaching,Teaching Hospital,Teaching Hospitals
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014611	Vaccination	Administration of vaccines to stimulate the host's immune response. This includes any preparation intended for active immunological prophylaxis.	Immunization, Active,Active Immunization,Active Immunizations,Immunizations, Active,Vaccinations