Ebola or Not? Evaluating the Ill Traveler From Ebola-Affected Countries in West Africa

Fairley, Jessica K.; Kozarsky, Phyllis E.; Kraft, Colleen S.; Guarner, Jeannette; Steinberg, James P.; Anderson, Evan; Jacob, Jesse T.; Meloy, Patrick; Gillespie, Darria; Espinoza, Tamara R.; Isakov, Alexander; Vanairsdale, Sharon; Baker, Esther; Wu, Henry M.

Medical records of patients who presented to EHC (including Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown, or The Emory Clinic) from July 20, 2014 to January 28, 2015 and met CDC criteria for PUI [6] after travel to or residence in Ebola-affected countries in West Africa were retrospectively reviewed. The CDC PUI case definition includes epidemiologic and clinical criteria (Table 1) . To ensure complete case findings, the real-time log of cases maintained by the physicians at the Emory tropical medicine clinic was supplemented by querying infectious diseases and ED staff for all PUI evaluated during the study period. During this outbreak, routine screening of all patients to identify those meeting PUI criteria were implemented at all points of entry in the healthcare system, including the ED and outpatient clinics [14, 15] . Screening questions about recent travel and symptoms of illness were asked at the time of appointment scheduling (for outpatients) and arrival at all clinics, EDs, and hospitals. Examples of triage flowcharts used by the EHC Department of Emergency Medicine can be found on the EHC Ebola preparedness website [5] .