Anthrax scares reiterate hospital preparation needs
Hospital Safety Connection, May 25, 2005
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Two hospitals locked down their emergency rooms on May 19 after people walked in with concerns that they might have been exposed to anthrax in mailed envelopes. In both cases, the powders turned out to not be anthrax, however, the incidents point to a need for medical centers to continually remain ready for potential bioterrorism responses.
In the first incident, a postal worker came to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, IA, after being exposed at work to a suspicious powder, according to the Associated Press. Authorities later determined the substance was a mixture of rat poison and wheat flour.
Later that day, a woman and two relatives entered Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, complaining of flu-like symptoms. The hospital kept all three people overnight and treated them with antibiotics as a precaution, the Associated Press reported.
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