Discharged Patient on Contact Precautions in Hospital, Spotted at Local Grocery Store

[HuckleB]

http://gomerblog.com/2014/04/contact-precautions/

"BALTIMORE, MD – 63-year-old Clarence Deeters was recently discharged from Mercy Hospital after being admitted and treated for urosepsis. While in the hospital for over 8 days, he was placed on contact precautions due to a whole host of organisms that are colonized on him, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). After his symptoms improved, he was discharged home.

Early reports are coming in that Clarence was spotted at the local grocery store, without the rest of the patrons in appropriate contact precautions. An anonymous tip reported, “Just 30 minutes ago we had to get a gown on to see him, now he’s just walking around the grocery store!”

“I didn’t know what to make of it,” said Debra Keeners, a nurse who took care of Mr. Deeters at the hospital and spotted him at the store. “Everyday I would have to wear yellow gowns and gloves just to go within a 10-foot radius of him. Now that I see him picking apples in the store, I just didn’t know what to do.”

Keeners was unsure if it was okay to shake his hand, or even pick out apples. “I had apples on my list, but I watched him touch and sift through multiple apples,” said Keeners. “I guess when we discharge contact precaution patients, we don’t really think about them being set free into the public. Very awkward.”

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