EMTALA issues involved in smallpox vaccinations
ED must treat those with reactions
Whether or not your hospital staff decide to participate in a voluntary smallpox vaccination program, there are Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) issues involved by virtue of the fact that anyone is giving them, says Stephen Frew, JD, a longtime specialist in EMTALA compliance.
The limited number of vaccinations given so far has yet to produce major problems, notes Frew, a web site publisher (www.medlaw.com) and risk management consultant for Physicians Insurance Co. of Wisconsin in Madison. But he says it is the minor problems that are likely to get providers into trouble with EMTALA regulations.
"Put simply, some people will have reactions that may range from minor itching to more severe reactions," he says. "If they come to your emergency department [ED], you are obligated to treat them. You may not simply refer them to the health department or to the military or whoever gave the vaccination."
As with other ED presentations, the patient must receive proper triage, medical screening examination and care, Frew says. "Remember, there are some very serious complications potentially involved, and remember that it is possible for nonvaccinated family members and co-workers to have been contaminated by a vaccinated person who has failed to maintain the seal over the site."
"Have a plan on how you will handle it," he advises providers. "But you do have to handle it."
In other vaccine-related news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a Hospital Smallpox Vaccination Monitoring System intended to help providers track workers who receive the vaccine.
The web-based application is a component of the CDC smallpox vaccination program being offered as a free service to hospitals. It is designed to capture data such as symptoms reported by vaccine recipients, fitness for duty and workdays lost, and to produce summary and overview reports of the hospital’s experience.
More information, including how to enroll in the voluntary program, is available at www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/hsvms.
Whether or not your hospital staff decide to participate in a voluntary smallpox vaccination program, there are Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) issues involved by virtue of the fact that anyone is giving them, says Stephen Frew, JD, a longtime specialist in EMTALA compliance.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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