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Colorado Hospitals Finalizing Ebola Protocols

DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado hospitals are training staff to handle possible Ebola patients, but setting up the protocols is still a work in progress.

Some of the hospitals CBS4 contacted don't yet have a protocol or they're still working on their plan. But CBS4 found nurses going through training Monday at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center.

"There's obviously a potential for Ebola to come in to the city," Dr. Steve Quach with Presbyterian/St. Luke's said. "At this point I think the worry is more of a worry of an isolated patient coming from Africa or having an exposure to somebody who has been to Africa."

Getting ready to care for an Ebola patient is an elaborate process. Foot and leg covers must be worn and an extra-long gown is required. Nurses and doctors must wear both a hood and a cap. Duct tape is used to make sure there is no slippage and no skin exposed.

Two people work together, checking and double-checking that every inch of skin is covered.

In the practice session at Presbyterian/St. Luke's, chocolate pudding was smeared over the gowns. It's meant to represent fluids that could contain the Ebola virus. That way the staff knows if any of the fluid ends up on the skin of the hospital personnel. Three sets of gloves have to be removed using bleach wipes every time.

"The personal protective equipment that you have to wear to protect yourself is material that we don't wear on an everyday basis," Quach said. "So putting it on and taking it off, if you don't do that properly, that's where the risk comes in."

The protocol follows guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it uses extra measures practiced at the University of Nebraska where two Ebola patients have been treated.

"I think we are ready in case a patient who has had exposure to the Ebola virus or has been to West Africa and had exposure there were to walk in to one of our facilities," Quach said.

EBOLA PROTOCOL
An Ebola practice session at Presbyterian/St. Luke's (credit: CBS)

All the gowns and stethoscopes and sheets will be destroyed after one patient. The hospital room won't be used for at least 24 hours until it can be completely disinfected.

The manpower and the sterile equipment for just one Ebola patient will cost the hospital tens of thousands of dollars.

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