Abstract
Preparing Health Care Workers for a Cholera Epidemic, Dominican Republic, 2010
Highlights
To the Editor: On October 21, 2010, a case of cholera was laboratory confirmed in Haiti, and within 2 months, ≈120,000 cases, 60,000 hospitalizations, and 2,500 deaths were reported (1)
Field teams met with hospital directors and staff, conducted a survey to assess recent cholera training and knowledge based on national protocols, and offered additional training materials and resources (7)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that this evaluation was not research because it was conducted as a public health response to an emergency
Summary
To the Editor: On October 21, 2010, a case of cholera was laboratory confirmed in Haiti, and within 2 months, ≈120,000 cases, 60,000 hospitalizations, and 2,500 deaths were reported (1). Most (174 [75%]) respondents reported having received cholera protocol training after the start of the outbreak in Haiti, and 146 (63%) already carried their personal copy of the national pocket guide to cholera diagnosis and treatment. Most HCWs had received cholera protocol training through public health efforts, which improved knowledge in key topic areas. Efforts to prepare HCWs likely contributed to the initially low case-fatality rate by improving clinical case management and response capacity These successful collaborative efforts to train HCWs strengthened relationships and communication within local, national, and international public health networks. To strengthen the capacity of HCWs to respond to threats such as epidemic cholera, our approach included site visits, dissemination of national clinical guidelines, and rapid assessment of knowledge deficiencies that could be addressed by providing immediate training and educational materials. Percentage of 233 hospital staff correctly answering cholera knowledge assessment questions near the start of a cholera epidemic in the Dominican Republic, 2010
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