Sigh. Dunno if you know this, but there are no organism tests really. If you really worked in an ER/ICU, you'd know you don't put blood in a vial and send it to the lab saying "tell me if this patient has XXX". It just doesn't work that way. You get blood chemistry, run a battery of reagent tests against the blood, feces, urine, etc, and do a variety of cultures. The lab will laugh at you (and yes this happens) when you stick a patient, draw blood, throw it in any old vial, and ask them to see if it's Ebola or whatever you want to know.
From the Mayo Clinic:
Neither of those tests specifically target Ebola, but instead rule out other organisms. Doctors make a diagnosis based on what is ruled out and what is symptomatic. Then they treat based on whatever their diagnosis is. Sometimes it's not conclusive, and they treat for a broad spectrum of things. In labs, there are no black and whites on organisms... unless you can see the organism (sometimes not even then) it's difficult to discern exactly what it is. In most cases, they can identify it based on how it reacts to different stains or chemical reagents, but in the case of viruses... not really.
Also, I've worked in an ER for years. There are lists of tests that can be performed, but few of them were organism specific. When it comes to organisms, you can order wound, urine, fecal cultures, or rapid flu, strep, staph tests. Pretty much it.
And YES there is a lot they can do if Ebola makes it into the country. But they aren't doing squat because they aren't going to spend money on something that might happen. At least at the state level. The feds are already doing it - getting FEMA stocked up and ready to quarantine entire cities.
People die from lack of perfusion. Every time. Heart stops, blood can't circulate and purfuse oxygen into your brain - dead. Gunshot would causes organs to go into shock and shut down, blood pumps onto the ground, oxygen can't get to your brain - dead. Ebola causes your body to bleed internally, and lose fluids like crazy, it can cause organ failure. Lack of perfusion.
Treatment is always based on this principal, that your body must have oxygen to survive. If you can't breathe, you can't get o2. If your bleeding or heart is stopped, you can't get o2. This is what is treated - keeping the lungs and airway functional, keep the heart beating, keep the blood inside your body. Fluids and o2 are administered to maximize survivability.
From the Mayo Clinic:
Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers are difficult to diagnose because early signs and symptoms resemble those of other diseases, such as typhoid and malaria. If doctors suspect you have Ebola or Marburg viruses, they use blood tests to quickly identify the virus, including:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors the United States for conditions such as Ebola infection, and its labs can test for the Ebola virus. Mayo Clinic does not test for the Ebola and Marburg viruses.
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors the United States for conditions such as Ebola infection, and its labs can test for the Ebola virus. Mayo Clinic does not test for the Ebola and Marburg viruses.
Also, I've worked in an ER for years. There are lists of tests that can be performed, but few of them were organism specific. When it comes to organisms, you can order wound, urine, fecal cultures, or rapid flu, strep, staph tests. Pretty much it.
And YES there is a lot they can do if Ebola makes it into the country. But they aren't doing squat because they aren't going to spend money on something that might happen. At least at the state level. The feds are already doing it - getting FEMA stocked up and ready to quarantine entire cities.
People die from lack of perfusion. Every time. Heart stops, blood can't circulate and purfuse oxygen into your brain - dead. Gunshot would causes organs to go into shock and shut down, blood pumps onto the ground, oxygen can't get to your brain - dead. Ebola causes your body to bleed internally, and lose fluids like crazy, it can cause organ failure. Lack of perfusion.
Treatment is always based on this principal, that your body must have oxygen to survive. If you can't breathe, you can't get o2. If your bleeding or heart is stopped, you can't get o2. This is what is treated - keeping the lungs and airway functional, keep the heart beating, keep the blood inside your body. Fluids and o2 are administered to maximize survivability.
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