[Input of a laboratory in the management of patients with Ebola virus disease and in the training of health personnel: experience of the Forecariah Ebola treatment centre (Guinea) in 2015]

Bull Soc Pathol Exot. 2016 Oct;109(4):248-255. doi: 10.1007/s13149-016-0491-4. Epub 2016 Jun 3.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is associated with a high lethality rate even when the afflicted are provided with good support in an Ebola treatment center (ETC). Basic laboratory tests can help to better understand the pathophysiology of the disease, to guide treatment and to establish simple protocols and procedures tailored to the practice of medicine in the context of such precarious environment for caregivers. Based on a few clinical cases of patients treated in the ETC of Forecariah, Guinea, run by the French Red Cross, this article describes the difficult conditions associated with the provision of medical practice in this challenging environment, aiming to minimize the casualties in the EVD patient and to train the health staff.

Keywords: Complementary exams; Ebola; Forecariah; French Red Cross; Guinea; Laboratory; Sub-Saharan Africa.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • France
  • Guinea / epidemiology
  • Health Personnel / education*
  • Health Personnel / psychology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / epidemiology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Laboratories* / organization & administration
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Professional Role*
  • Protective Clothing
  • Red Cross
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Workforce
  • Young Adult