Latest News

MSDC Partnership with DOH to Identify Availability and Need for Flu Vaccine Produces Results: 500 Vaccine Doses Distributed to MSDC Members for Their At-Risk Patients

The Medical Society is working proactively with the DC Department of Health to identify the availability of and need for flu vaccine. Last week, MSDC e-mailed its members and asked them to complete a form from the DC Department of Health's Immunization Program in order to gather data on where flu vaccine is located and where it is needed. As a result of this initiative, early this week DC DOH distributed 500 doses of the vaccine to physicians who submitted a form and indicated they were need of vaccine.  This initiative re-directed available  and much-needed vaccine to physicians for their at-risk patients.

Do We Have Your E-mail Address? If you have not been receiving regular communication from the Medical Society via e-mail, chances are we don't have your e-mail address or the one we do have is incorrect. Please contact us with your e-mail address so that we can provide you with timely information on this year's flu vaccine shortage, as well as other important, time-sensitive issues that may arise.  

Please send your e-mail address to David Love, MSDC Director of Communications, love@msdc.org so that we can provide you with timely information.

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DC Department of Health's SARS Reporting Protocol.

With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) back in the headlines, the Medical Society wants to make sure its members are aware of the DC Department of Health's SARS Reporting Protocol:

* Hospital or other healthcare facility contacts the Department of Health (DOH) Bureau of Communicable Disease Control (BCDC) at 202-442-9131, 202-442-5842, and/or 202-442-9371 with suspected case information. (After hours and weekend number 202-727-6161),

* BCDC takes case information and consults with Chief of BCDC, Dr. Karyn L. Berry.  If determined that it is a suspected or probable case of SARS, BCDC will notify the Bureau of Epidemiology and Risk Assessment (BEHRA) and request that reporting facility fax copy of SARS Case Form immediately to 202-442-8060.

* BEHRA assumes responsibility for case investigation, assigns DOH SARS number and notifies Dr. Knuckles or Dr. Diallo at the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) at 202 727-8956 of the suspect or probable case. BEHRA request that the reporting facility begins to formulate line list of the patient's contacts and prior location within the facility.

* Types of specimen collected will be per "Guidelines for the Collection of Specimens from Potential Case of SARS", Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Matrix.

* Collecting facility labels specimens with two patient identifiers (name and date of birth), date and time of collection. A short history of patient's illness must accompany specimen (can be a copy of case report form). Facility contacts the DOH PHL at 202-727-8956 and request to speak directly with Dr. Diallo or Cleveland Weedon. Coordination of specimen transfer to the PHL will be done at this time. (Weekend and after-hours number is 202-727-6161)

* Specimen is packaged in usual fashion for transfer in a leak-proof container and marked with biohazard labeling.

* The PHL will not accept specimens without having prior contact from the sending facility and that facility notification of BEHRA.

* SARS testing is to be done by the DOH PHL, if positive the specimen is confirmed and sent to CDC for further confirmation as required by the CDC SARS Laboratory protocol. A CDC SARS identification number will be obtained by the PHL when specimen is prepared for shipment to CDC.

* The PHL will submit results to BEHRA and a copy to the submitting facility. Upon receipt, BEHRA will forward copies to BCDC

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CDC Issues SARS Advisory

On April 22, 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the following advisory in response to a new possible case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) case in Beijing, China:

In light of this development, CDC is recommending that U.S. physicians maintain a greater index of suspicion for SARS in patients who 1) require hospitalization for radiographically confirmed pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) AND 2) who have a history of travel to mainland China (or close contact with an ill person with a history of recent travel to mainland China) in the 10 days before onset of symptoms. When such patients are identified, they should be considered at high risk for SARS-CoV infection and the following actions should be taken:

* Patients should immediately be placed in appropriate isolation precautions for SARS (i.e., contact and airborne precautions along with eye protection).

* Patients should promptly be reported to the state or local health department.

* Patients should promptly be tested for evidence of SARS-CoV infection as part of the diagnostic evaluation.

* The health department should identify, evaluate, and monitor relevant contacts of the patient, as indicated. In particular, the health status of household contacts or persons who provided care to symptomatic patients should be assessed.

Health care providers are reminded to obtain a travel history for patients presenting with acute respiratory illness. In addition, this new case of possible SARS provides a reminder to all healthcare settings, especially physician offices, outpatient clinics, and emergency departments, of the importance of implementing infection control precautions at the point of first contact with patients who have symptoms of a respiratory infection. These include respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, hand hygiene, and droplet precautions (i.e., masks for close patient contact). 

The reported new possible case of SARS in China represents an evolving situation, and CDC will distribute updates as additional information is learned. For more about SARS and the current U.S. SARS control guidelines, go to the CDC SARS web site:  http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars

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Physicians Required to Report Lead Levels to DOH.

Daniel Lucey, MD, MPH, the city's interim chief medical officer, had no choice but to hit the floor running when he assumed office earlier this year thanks to the growing crisis of high lead levels in the District's water supply.

As part of his response to the crisis, Dr. Lucey reminded health care professionals of their responsibility under the law to report normal and abnormal serum lead levels to the DC Department of Health's (DOH) Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The results should be faxed to DOH at 202-535-1398. This activity was mandated by the DC Childhood Lead Poisoning Screening and Reporting Act (Title XX of the Fiscal Year 2003 Budget Support Act of 2002).

Also, in late February Dr. Lucey issued letters to thousands of DC residents whose water supplies were thought to contain elevated lead levels. The letters offered recommendations on the use of unfiltered water and emphasized that those in three at-risk groups-pregnant women, women who are nursing, and young children-should use only filtered water. The letters and subsequent notices from the DOH also provided information on free screening facilities.

As this issue moves forward, members are encouraged to access the DC DOH web site for current information:
http://www.dchealth.dc.gov/information/fact_sheets/lead.shtm

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DOH Offers Advice on Lead Levels in DC Homes. 

On February 26, 2004, the DC Department of Health sent a letter to approximately 23,000 households in the District that are suspected of having an underground lead service pipe that brings drinking water into their residences. In the letter, the city's Interim Chief Medical Officer, Daniel Lucey, MD, offers advice for all occupants of residences that have lead service pipes, as well as specific advice for all children under the age of six years and women who are pregnant and living in these residences.

Click here to access the letter

Note: The letter is in PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader to access it. 

If you don't have Acrobat Reader on your computer, click here to download it free of charge

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Initial Tests of Senate Office Indicate Powder is Ricin; CDC Fact Sheet on Ricin Available. 

Initial tests indicate that powder found in the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Monday, February 2, 2004 was the lethal poison ricin.  The Medical Society encourages physicians and other clinicians to review facts about ricin, including signs and symptoms of ricin exposure (inhalation and ingestion). To access the CDC's Fact Sheet on ricin, go to:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp#topofpage 

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