DESTINATION OVERDRIVE

If the WHO's message that hospitals and other healthcare facilities will be overwhelmed if an influenza pandemic were to occur haven't convinced us yet, i'm sure this week's events have made the message loud and clear.

There was a small outbreak of VRE on one of the units this week, resulting in most of the unit on isolation precautions, and then further spreading of the bacteria through precautions, leaving the infection control team no other option but to close the unit. As if this wasn't a big enough problem, we have nowhere to put the patients. There is already back up in the ER with patients waiting for beds, 11 scheduled surgeries with no beds for the patients post op, and now no where to place the VRE patients while their unit gets terminally cleaned.

The panic/fear/sleepless look on hospital administrators faces this week does not send a hopeful message for our pandemic preparedness.