[HFDlist] FW: COVID-19 updates

[Russ Hall]

All:

Please see the updates from Dr. Weisberg below.  Our COVID-19 response policy will be updated to reflect the changes.  We will be adding 1 MDI to each ambulance tomorrow.

Thanks:

Russ

Russ Hall
Fire Chief/EMD
Holden Fire Dept.
1370 Main Street
Holden, MA 01520
508-210-5650



From: Weisberg, Stacy
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2020 11:47 AM
To: Seth Knipe; Dominic Singh; Jim Carleton; enaiman at holdenma.gov
Cc: Michael Gleason; Russ Hall
Subject: COVID-19 updates

I know I’ve touched base with most of you over the past few days, but I wanted to reach out with a bit more information. 

I hope everyone is holding up ok. These are definitely interesting times. 
I’m going to bullet point some updates just to make them easy to follow:

- Please re-use N-95’s and eye protection until visibly soiled. Clean between patients. Store in brown paper bag between calls or for non-infectious calls. (Decorating bags has become a new ED pastime during any downtime.)
- All patients entering the ED at UMass or Memorial need to be in a surgical mask, even if noninfectious. Same for EMS. Again, reuse your surgical mask. Ask the ED for a 1 for 1 exchange for the patient.
- No visitors, therefore, PLEASE don’t bring family in the ambulances unless it’s a child. Then only 1 family member.
- All codes and Level 1 traumas are considered to be infectious since we cannot screen them. Full PPE please.
- Re-screen all patients who screened negative by dispatch. Only 1 provider should enter the home to do this and then can advise everyone else. Please don’t freak out, but patients have been lying to 911 about their symptoms.
- For codes – abide by the STP with 8 minutes of CPR with a NRB mask only. Then insert a supraglottic airway. Intubation is a high-risk procedure. At UMass and WEMS it is requiring PAPR’s.
- Avoid nebs – 5 pumps with an MDI should come pretty close. 

There is the possibility of UMass eventually directing some ambulances to bring a patient to the front of the ED instead. This is NOT in place yet. We will let you know right away if this changes.

Hang in there! When you are not at work, please stay home. Social distancing is key. If you are not feeling well, please stay home and let us know. 

As always, I am available if you need me, have questions, etc. Please reach out.

Stacy

Stacy N. Weisberg, MD, MPH, FACEP, FAEMS
Professor Emergency  Medicine
EMS Fellowship Director
Associate Medical Director, Worcester EMS/ LifeFlight
UMass Memorial Medical Center
(508) 421-1400
The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, transmission, re-transmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.holdenma.gov/pipermail/firedept/attachments/20200320/e23d8f2d/attachment.html>