When two medical missionaries in Liberia were infected with Ebola virus disease in August 2014, they were brought by air ambulance to the Emory University Hospital (EUH), becoming the first patients treated for EVD outside of Africa. In this week's PLOS Medicine, David Stephens and colleagues, of Emory University, Atlanta, GA describe the lessons learned from treating these patients in EUH's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit (SCDU).
Dr. Stephens and colleagues detail the planning, communication, infrastructure, and teamwork across multiple units that contributed to the successful treatment and discharge of the patients. They emphasize the importance of this experience and the lessons learned not just for EUH but for the global healthcare community:
"The institutional experience, while providing the opportunity to effectively care for these individuals, has led to best practice information and the education and training of others, created key academic, governmental, and community partnerships, expanded research programs in EVD, and resulted in the development and communication of new knowledge about this emerging disease."
In an accompanying Perspective article, Tom Boyles draws on his experience in Sierra Leone to highlight similarities and differences in treating patients with EVD in West Africa versus Atlanta. Dr. Boyles emphasizes how dealing with a much higher ratio of suspected and actual cases to staff and medical supplies available demands a different strategy: "In such settings, it is vital to use resources in the most efficient way possible to tip the balance in favor of survival for as many patients as possible."