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Local doctors hit books on bioterror Emergency rooms draft plans to deal with the unlikely event of an attack on Southern Oregon By BILL KETTLER If you think you might have anthrax, call 911 before you go to the hospital - and leave the envelope with the white powder at home. While nobody expects an episode of bioterrorism in Southern Oregon, Jackson County emergency-room physicians have developed plans for treating anyone who displays anthrax-like symptoms, and physicians have scheduled training sessions to reacquaint themselves with the symptoms of diseases such as anthrax, plague and smallpox. As part of that training, Dr. Erich Weber, a Medford anesthesiologist who studied biological warfare while he served in the Army, will speak to doctors Thursday about recognizing and treating anthrax. Physicians at Medford's two hospitals said Tuesday that preventing the spread of the disease will be just as important as treating anyone who has it. Patients with symptoms that strongly suggest anthrax would probably be isolated to prevent the spores that cause the disease from spreading, said Dr. Barry Trowbridge, medical director for emergency services at Providence Medford Medical Center. Trowbridge said Providence's emergency-room staff has developed plans for dealing with patients who suspect they may be infected, such as people who open a letter laced with white powder, as well as people who could be infected without their knowledge, such as postal workers. "We went through the steps of what we'd do if somebody came in with an envelope of white powder," Trowbridge said. The drill includes dropping the suspect envelope in a sealed bag and leading the patient outside the emergency room to the hospital's decontamination room, where he or she would be scrubbed down with soap and water. Hospital staff would call a fire department hazardous materials crews for assistance with removing the patient's clothing and the envelope and call 911 to contact law enforcement agencies. "They'll send someone down to investigate whether it's a credible threat," he said. "Every story has so many variables it's impossible to know what you're going to do," Rhee said. Rhee said treatment strategies change quickly as more information surfaces about anthrax. "We started out however many weeks ago that Cipro was the drug of choice. Now it's doxycycline." As many as 60 drugs may be effective against anthrax, said Lee Strandberg, a professor at Oregon State University's College of Pharmacy. "There's no need to be hoarding Cipro," Strandberg said. Trowbridge said someone who might conceivably have been exposed to anthrax unknowingly (such as a postal worker) who comes to the hospital with bad flu symptoms would probably get a thorough examination to determine whether anthrax might be the problem. Patients with serious symptoms could be given chest X-rays and other tests to determine the presence of anthrax. Potential cases would be reported to Jackson County public health officials and the federal Centers for Disease Control. Trowbridge said physicians and public health officials will watch suspicious cases carefully to identify biological agents such as anthrax as quickly as possible. "Our main job is to be sensitive to (disease) clustering," Trowbridge said. "In any episode of bioterrorism you won't see one sick person. You'll see three or four really sick people. ... Suddenly there will be several generally healthy people coming in sick for no apparent reason." Procedures for treating victims of biological agents such as anthrax are included in each hospital's "mass casualty" contingency plans, said Barbara Motes, Providence's risk manager. Hospitals have stocks of protective clothing for staff, such as surgical masks that prevent microscopic anthrax spores from entering the lungs, and full-face hoods that protect doctors and nurses from exposure to toxic chemicals. Motes said hospitals modify their mass casualty plans as more information emerges about biological agents. "We learn as we go," she said. "We do the best job we can with the information we have at the time. We can't foresee everything and we can't know everything." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.