Clinical Management of Hospitalized Patients With High-Consequence Infectious Diseases in England

Alejandra Alonso1, Jonathan Cohen1, Joby Cole1

  • 1Alejandra Alonso, MPH, is a Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Infection, Evelina London Children's Hospital; Jonathan Cohen, PhD, is a Consultant in Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Evelina London Children's Hospital; Chris Meadows, FRCP, is a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and ECMO, Department of Critical Care, St Thomas' Hospital; and Geraldine O'Hara, PhD, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, St Thomas' Hospital; all with Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London. Jonathan Cohen is also a Consultant, Department of Women and Children's Health, and Chris Meadows is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine; both at St Thomas Hospital, Kings College London, London. Joby Cole, PhD, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Acute Medicine, and Anne J. Tunbridge, FRCP, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases; both in the Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield. Marieke Emonts, PhD, and Stephen Owens, PhD, are Consultants in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Great North Children's Hospital; Brendan A. I. Payne, PhD, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Virology, and Matthias L. Schmid, MD, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Royal Victoria Infirmary; all with the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne. Marieke Emonts is also an Honorary Professor, Paediatric Infectious Diseases, and Brendan A. I. Payne is also an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer; both at the Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne. Natasha Karunaharan, MRCPath, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, and Jake Dunning, PhD, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases; both in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Free Hospital, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London. Jake Dunning is also a Senior Research Fellow, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford. David Porter, PhD, and Andrew Riordan, FRCPCH, are Consultants in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool. Libuse Ratcliffe, FRCP, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases, and Mike Beadsworth, MD, is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine; both in the Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit, Royal Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool. Ruchi Sinha, MRCPCH, is a Consultant Paediatric Intensivist, Children's Intensive Care, and Elizabeth Whittaker, PhD, is a Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology, Children's Infectious Diseases; both at St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London. Elizabeth Whittaker is also an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London.

Health Security
|August 30, 2024
PubMed
Summary

England has enhanced its high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) response system since 1971, establishing specialized treatment centers for viral hemorrhagic fevers and other dangerous pathogens. This system has been crucial for managing outbreaks like Ebola and COVID-19.

Related Concept Videos

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment01:25

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
1.2K
Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures01:22

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
2.6K
Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
1.9K
Pneumonia IV: Management01:28

Pneumonia IV: Management

The treatment of pneumonia varies based on its severity and the causative pathogen. Here is a structured approach to managing pneumonia, integrating pharmaceutical and supportive care strategies.
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
311
Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention01:30

Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention

Nursing management of pneumonia involves promoting airway patency, facilitating rest and conserving energy, encouraging fluid intake, maintaining nutrition, and educating patients.
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....
1.9K
Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets01:17

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets

Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
3.5K