New information points to a massive oversight in containing Ebola: Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian national who recently died of Ebola in Dallas, Texas, had a 103 degree fever during his initial visit to the emergency room. In the hospital's records, his fever was flagged with an exclamation point.
The news comes after the revelation that Duncan was sent home with medication even after telling a nurse that he had recently been in Africa and had symptoms that indicated he had Ebola.
Duncan's family gave his complete medical records to the AP, chronicling his arrival in Dallas on Sept. 20 and subsequent illness.
The Associated Press reports:
When he first showed up at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, the man complained of abdominal pain, dizziness, a headache and decreased urination. He reported severe pain -- rating it an eight on a scale of 10. Doctors gave him CT scans to rule out appendicitis, stroke and numerous other serious ailments. Ultimately, he was prescribed antibiotics and told to take Tylenol, then returned to the apartment where he was staying with a Dallas woman and three other people.
After his condition worsened, someone in the apartment called 911, and paramedics took him back to the hospital on Sept. 28. That's when he was admitted and swiftly put in isolation.
Duncan died in isolation on Wednesday.
Shares