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Early studies of emergency rooms nationwide are showing a scary trend – that people are delaying emergency medical care in fear of COVID-19. Many of these studies are focusing on delayed medical care for heart attacks and strokes. Delaying medical care for patients undergoing these heart events and other emergencies can be fatal.

Christopher White, M.D. is Professor and Chair of Medicine and Cardiology at Ochsner Medical Center and serves as LERN’s (Louisiana Emergency Response Network) STEMI System Medical Director. Dr. White states, “In Louisiana, and across the country, we are seeing a dramatic decline in patients with heart attacks coming to the hospital.”

“The advice to Louisiana citizens is straightforward,” says Dr. White. “If you are experiencing significant symptoms of increasing chest pain or shortness of breath this may indicate you are at risk for a heart attack, which is much more life-threatening than the risk of COVID-19 exposure. Please contact your physician for instructions or come to the Emergency Department for care. It could save your life.”

St. James Parish Hospital is still seeing patients in its Emergency Room and has taken numerous steps to ensure the safety of patients and staff throughout this pandemic.

1. Early on, the flow of the ER was redesigned to create separation between possible COVID patients and those with other emergency needs. Patients are assessed immediately upon entering and then triaged and separated based on symptoms.
2. Patients undergoing COVID symptoms are treated in one area and patients with other illnesses and injuries are routed to a traditional treatment space. The spaces are divided by doorways.
3. The hospital has implemented additional measures to filter air in patient rooms within the ER.
4. The ER Nurses’ Station and several sections of the ER were “closed off” utilizing visqueen and plexiglass partitions to further prevent cross contamination.
5. The hospital has always used disinfectants capable of killing the coronavirus and many other pathogens, but additional staff has been trained to understand proper usage of these products.
6. Disinfectants are now readily available to all team members and staff members are assigned to the ER lobby to continuously disinfect all high-touch areas and furniture.
7. Environmental Services staff members were added to terminally clean the ER rooms in COVID areas. A “terminal cleaning” is the highest level of cleaning and requires that every surface in the room be disinfected with a hospital-grade disinfectant.
8. Most recently, the hospital invested in a cutting-edge sanitation fogger system – SteraMist – supported by the World Health Organization. SteraMist is a portable surface disinfection system that uses ionized hydrogen peroxide.

Always call 911 during emergencies, and to reach the St. James Parish Hospital Emergency Room, call 225.258.5949.