Procedural Guidelines for Special Pathogens

On March 5, the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) released EMS Model Procedural Guidelines for Special Pathogens to complement the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s “EMS Infectious Disease Playbook.”

These guidelines provide step-by-step instructions that any emergency medical services (EMS) agency can adapt and incorporate into their policies and procedures for managing high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) patients including:

• Procedures for donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• PPE breaches.
• Assessment of an EMS clinician who has become incapacitated while wearing PPE.
• Biohazard spills.
• Handling HCID waste.

Also provided is guidance on ambulance cleaning, disinfection and modification to protect surfaces and EMS personnel from exposure to potentially infectious body fluids.

These model procedural guidelines were developed by the NETEC EMS/Patient Transport Work Group comprising subject matter experts from the EMS Biosafety Transport Consortium who support the federally designated Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers for transport and management of patients suspected or confirmed to have an HCID.