Radiologists at Emory University Hospital have crafted a protocol of how to perform chest x-rays with portable computed radiography on patients suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus.
The guidelines, published online November 17 in the American Journal of Roentgenology, are designed to limit the exposure of personnel and equipment to body fluids and minimize the risk of contaminants leaving the isolation unit. Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood or other body fluids from a live or deceased infected individual.
The step-by-step protocol outlines how to handle the imaging procedure within the patient's isolation room and the adjacent room, and what to do upon entering and leaving. For example, the report recommends that x-ray technologists wear a protective gown and gloves and move the x-ray machine into the adjacent room after the machine's arm is covered in plastic wrap.
The report also offers diagrams that illustrate how to position and angle equipment to avoid contact with contaminated fluids. In addition, the authors detail the best way to clean equipment to prevent the virus from spreading.
