Topics in Clinical Biosecurity: Preparedness & Response

Listed below are all CBN articles on Preparedness & Response published since 2005

• 03-13-2020: Get Ready for a 1918-like Scenario While we can hope for the best, we cannot exclude the possibility of a Wuhan-like outbreak in your city. Hospitals should be all-out preparing for their worst-case scenario.
• 02-27-2020: What US Hospitals Should Do Now to Prepare for a COVID-19 Pandemic The WHO and the US CDC have called on health systems around the world to prepare for a possible COVID-19 pandemic.
• 10-03-2018: The Value of Legionella and Pneumococcal Testing in Pneumonia A new study questions the use of urinary antigen tests in community acquired pneumonia but supports their continued use in the work up of respiratory infections
• 11-17-2017: Herd Immunity: Keeping Zika at Bay, For Now Zika infection rates appear to have ebbed, a new study reveals that Zika’s extraordinary trajectory may explain its diminished ability to cause new infections.
• 11-01-2017: The Ascent of H7N9 The H7N9 avian influenza virus has now caused more human cases than H5N1 and tops CDC’s list of potential pandemic threats.
• 10-20-2017: Anticipating a Severe Flu Season While the flu season in this hemisphere has yet to fully commence, there are important signals that it may be severe.
• 08-28-2017: What Sandy teaches us about Harvey We summarize our studies of the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the health sector of greater New York and its valuable lessons for Hurricane Harvey.
• 02-17-2017: BARDA and Project Bioshield Progress Report Details Core National Security Role Project Bioshield was tasked with facilitating the development, acquisition, and stockpiling of diagnostics, vaccines, and medications against CBRN threats.
• 01-08-2016: An Influenza Viral Swarm infections are actually made up of a swarm of related but distinct virus and that many different variants may be transmitted from one individual.
• 11-06-15: Diminishing Returns with Healthcare Worker Influenza Vaccination? A new study shows limited incremental reduction in nosocomial influenza infections when healthcare worker vaccination rates exceed 50%.
• 08-21-2015: Modeling Critical Care Regionalization A new study models the effects of pre-hospital triage of patients to optimize the transport of critical care patients to critical care specially centers.
• 07-10-2015: CERN: A Healthcare Coalition for Ebola Treatment A new report describes how 4 major medical centers and the health department in Chicago have collaborated to create an Ebola response network.
• 06-26-15: Novel Type H Botulinum Toxin Neutralized by Standard Antitoxin A new CDC study reveals that the newly discovered type H botulism toxin is in fact neutralized by the existing standard heptavalent botulism antitoxin.
• 05-29-2015: Afebrile Influenza in Healthcare Workers One of the chief means of arresting the spread of influenza through healthcare facilities is vaccination of healthcare workers.
• 04-17-2015: Statins in Sepsis: An Idea Whose Time May Have Passed Deshpande and colleagues recently published a meta-analysis of randomized trials that used statins to treat sepsis found that they have no effect.
• 04-03-2015: National Action Plan Developed for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria The White House released a national action plan to address the rising tide of antimicrobial resistance, special attention is given to hospital-based initiatives
• 03-20-2015: Patterns of Emergency Department Use After a Disaster Patients displaced from closed public and private hospital EDs in NYC exhibited somewhat different patterns with regards to where they sought ED care.
• 12-19-2014: Preparing for Influenza: An H3N2 Season with a Vaccine Mismatch The predominance of H3N2 this year and the mismatch of the H3N2 component of this year’s vaccine are driving this concern.
• 10-29-2014: Rapid Ebola Test Now Available for Use in Hospitals PCR based test can confirm or rule-out Ebola in symptomatic patients in approximately 1 hour and can be done safely in many hospitals.
• 10-22-2014: Ebola: PPE, Infection Control, and Regionalization of Care This week brought the end of the 21-day observation period of the contacts of Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the US.
• 10-10-2014: Containing Marburg in Uganda Understanding how Uganda responds to this Marburg epidemic will be an example of outbreak management principles that are equally applicable to Ebola.
• 08-14-2014: Experimental Ebola Treatment Being Used Several healthcare workers infected by Ebola in Africa have been treated with an experimental drug. Should the drug be made more widely available to others?
• 02-07-2014: Organizing Chaos--Hospital Evacuation During Hurricane Sandy A recent study explores immediate effects on hospitals that received evacuated patients and the effects of ongoing patient surge due to closing of 2 hospitals.
• 07-26-2013: US TB Outbreaks Highlight Investigative and Therapeutic Challenges US tuberculosis (TB) rates continue to decline, but surveillance, control, and treatment remain challenging and expensive.
• 07-13-2012: Report from CDC’s Unexplained Respiratory Disease Outbreak Working Group Some undiagnosed respiratory illnesses could be caused by pathogens of interest, in which case nascent outbreaks of serious diseases may not be recognized.
• 06-15-2012: Intensive Care Outcomes During the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic A new article by authors from the CDC provides detailed descriptions of ICU care provided to patients during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
• 03-30-2012: IOM Issues New Report on Crisis Standards of Care IOM has just released its second report on crisis standards of care for use in disaster situations. The report offers practical guidance for implementation.
• 12-16-2011: Transmission of 2009 Pandemic Influenza to Healthcare Workers A recent study reinforces the importance of droplet precautions, PPE, and other prevention measures during a flu pandemic.
• 11-04-2011: The Bio-Response Report Card: Some Progress, But More Work Needed The newly released “Bio-Response Report Card” was constructed to, “provide a strategic, end-to-end assessment of America’s bio-response capabilities.”
• 10-21-2011: Biosurveillance and Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis The likelihood that a clinical diagnosis of a communicable disease will be accurate is influenced by the prevalence of the disease in the community.
• 09-16-2011: CDC Releases Strategic Plan for Public Health Preparedness On September 9, 2011, the OPHPR at the CDC released A National Strategic Plan for Public Health Preparedness and Response.
• 10-22-2010: Universal Flu Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel: A Patient Safety Issue HHS developed an action plan to prevent healthcare-associated infections through influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel.
• 03-03-2010: New Report: The Next Challenge in Healthcare Preparedness In 2007, the ASPR in the HHS contracted with the Center to conduct a 2-year, comprehensive assessment of the HHS Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP).
• 02-19-2010: Hospital Response to the 2009 Influenza Pandemic: A Survey of U.S. Hospital Epidemiologists Authors of a study report results of survey of hospital epidemiologists—overall, hospitals were prepared, but other activities suffered.
• 05-08-2009: Hospitals Are Better Prepared for Mass Casualty Disasters The Center released the report, Hospitals Rising to the Challenge: The First Five Years of the U.S. Hospital Preparedness Program and Priorities Going Forward.
• 02-06-2009: Global Avian influenza Panzootic Continues; Some Preparedness Gains Made but Hospitals Remain Vulnerable Although “bird flu” has not been featured prominently on the evening news of late, the influenza A/H5N1 panzootic continues.
• 12-19-2008: Update on Personal Protective Equipment In virtually all pandemic plans, the use of PPE is a key component of protection for healthcare workers (HCWs) and prevention of disease spread.
• 07-14-2008: AHRQ Releases Report on Home Healthcare During a Pandemic On July 8, 2008, the HHS AHRQ released a report1 on the issues and resources associated with home healthcare during a pandemic.
• 05-30-2008: OSHA Issues Guidance for Stockpiling Masks and Respirators OSHA recently proposed guidance for employers to use in determining the numbers of masks and respirators to stockpile for an influenza pandemic
• 05-15-2008: Definitive Care for the Critically Ill During a Disaster The DHS National Planning Scenarios predict that a catastrophic disaster could produce tens of thousands of critically ill patients in a metropolitan area
• 05-01-2008: Indonesia Conducts 3-Day Drill of Pandemic Influenza National Response Plan A small rural village in Bali spent months preparing to participate in what the Jakarta Post described as Indonesia’s first massive pandemic influenza exercise
• 04-14-2008: CDC Publishes Report on Meeting of Experts to Update Guidelines for Management of Anthrax On March 13-14, 2006, the CDC, in collaboration with the Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats, convened a meeting in Atlanta
• 03-28-2008: ASPR Makes First Playbook Available The HHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has posted online its Hurricane Playbook (ESF-8 Hurricane Response)
• 02-29-2008: California Releases Healthcare Surge Guidelines On February 19, 2008, the California Department of Public Health released its Standards and Guidelines for Healthcare Surge during Emergencies.
• 12-07-2007: Estimate of the Financial Effect of a Flu Pandemic on U.S. Hospitals In an article just published, this author and colleagues from the Center examine the potential financial impact of a flu pandemic on U.S. hospital.
• 10-19-2007: White House Releases HSPD 21: National Strategy for Public Health and Medical Preparedness On October 18, 2007, the White House released HSPD 21 establishing a “National Strategy for Public Health and Medical Preparedness.”
• 10-04-2007: IOM Releases Pandemic PPE Report On September 18, 2007, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies announced the publication of a report.
• 06-07-2007: Learning from the XDR-TB Experience: Policy Priorities Going Forward Careful examination of government and public responses to the recent case of Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is critical.
• 05-24-2007: OSHA Releases Pandemic Guidance for Healthcare Personnel This 104-page document provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the occupational health issues related to hospital pandemic preparedness.
• 05-11-2007: CDC Issues Interim Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Settings during an Influenza Pandemic. Surgical masks and N 95 respirators have been recommended for use by healthcare workers during an influenza pandemic.
• 05-03-2007: New System Promises Access to Prescription Information in a Disaster In the event of a disaster that causes an overwhelming number of patients to suffer respiratory failure, clinicians could face two difficult problems.
• 03-14-2007: HHS Launches New Website to Guide Medical Care during a Mass Casualty Radiation Incident HHS announced the launch of a website for health care professionals who may have to provide medical care during a radiation mass casualty incident.
• 02-15-2007: Surgical Masks May Provide Significant Aerosol Protection The relative protection afforded by surgical and N-95 masks is an important issue that is prompting much debate in the process of planning for outbreaks.
• 02-07-2007: CDC Releases Interim Planning Guidance for Mitigation of Pandemic Influenza On February 1, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its long-awaited disease containment strategy for pandemic influenza.
• 12-20-2006: Passage of S. 3678-The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act Passage of S. 3678 marks a major milestone in improving public health and hospital preparedness for bioterrorist attacks, pandemics, and other catastrophes.
• 10-23-2006: Smallpox Antiviral Effective in Animal Trials Antiviral drug candidate SIGA-246 demonstrated a high degree of protection against variola, the smallpox virus, in a primate trial conducted at the CDC.
• 10-13-2006: New Research on Antiviral Treatment of Influenza Dr. Frederick Hayden presented the John F. Enders Lecture at the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s (IDSA) 44th annual meeting in Toronto this morning.
• 09-01-2006: Antibiotics to Treat Pneumonia: An Overlooked Essential Element of Pandemic Preparedness In a review article, John Brundage, M.D. examines the relationship between influenza and bacterial suprainfections in past pandemics.
• 08-22-2006: New York City Addresses Crucial Issues in Planning for Pandemic Flu The NYC DOHMH Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan provides a model for other large urban areas working to formulate similar plans.
• 06-08-2006: CDC Releases New Guidelines for H5N1 Testing Yesterday, June 7, the CDC released new guidelines for the testing of patients with possible H5N1 infection in the U.S. A summary follows.
• 06-02-2006: Severe Pandemic Planning Assumptions California recently proposed an ambitious $400 million plan for pandemic preparedness that includes $347MM to prepare hospitals and increase surge capacity.
• 05-18-2006: Augmentation of Mechanical Ventilation in Hospitals A Guide for the Evaluation and Stockpiling of Positive Pressure Ventilation Equipment - How Will Hospitals Accommodate a Surge of Critical Care Patients?
• 05-09-2006: Recommendations for Hospital Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza On March 1, 2006, the Center for Biosecurity convened a meeting to address the issue of U.S. hospital preparedness for pandemic influenza.
• 05-04-2006: Hospitals, You Are On Your Own The plan, released today, includes no indication that hospitals will be provided aid or assistance with their efforts to become better prepared.
• 04-13-2006: CDC Warns of Possible Exposure to Mumps During Air Travel The CDC has issued a warning that airline passengers may have been exposed to mumps on several flights in late March/early April.
• 01-27-2006: A Rational Approach to Evidence-Based Allocation of Mechanical Ventilation in a Pandemic Drs. Hick and O’Laughlin describe one approach to addressing the difficult problem of allocating critical life support resources in a severe pandemic.
• 10-31-2005: Disease Control Measures for Flu Do Public Health and Infection Control Measures Work to Prevent the Spread of Flu? Not much is known about influenza transmission or ways to prevent it.
• 08-24-2005: Mass Critical Care Estimates of the results of biological attacks or large epidemics indicate that hundreds or thousands of victims would become critically ill.
• 08-02-2005: NVAC Priorities The NVAC and the ACIP held a joint meeting to make additional recommendations to the draft DHHS Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan.
• 07-26-2005: Oseltamivir A study released last week indicates that standard oseltamivir dosing may not be sufficient for the current strain of H5N1 in Southeast Asia
• 07-11-2005: Potential Anthrax Therapeutic A study published reports on a Phase I trial of a fully human monoclonal antibody against the Bacillus anthracis protective antigen.
• 05-17-2005: Avian Influenza; Polio Several recent news items raise questions about the adequacy of the current epidemiological intelligence originating in South Asia.
• 05-02-2005: Biothreat Update; Pandemic Vaccine The National Intelligence Council released an unclassified report for policymakers that takes a long-term view of how events may unfold over the next 15 years.
• 04-26-2005: Anthrax Response; New Vaccines If a large scale aerosol attack with anthrax occurs over a large city, what would be the most effective response strategy?