Hurricane Harvey: Perspective from a Nurse

This Nurse's Name,
Almost As If By Coincidence, Just Happens to Be,
Hurricane Hottie

From The Last English Prince:

Saturday morning, August 26th:

I sought out the nursing supervisor right after entering the building for weekend surgical case coverage.  Here was my question:  “How many patients have we received because of the flooding in Houston?”

“Two.  A couple of individuals discharged from Houston hospitals drove to Dallas and were readmitted through our emergency room”

Monday morning, August 28th:

Waterborne Disease:

We will begin to note the effects of waterborne disease in our Dallas shelters.  We can toss 5,000 souls into one of our convention centers, provide for the a “cot and a hot”, food for their pets.  What we will not have are enough bathroom facilities for the diarrhea which will eventually ensue. There will be a need for re-hydration and antibiotics.

Mosquitoes and waterborne disease: 

I remember well exactly where I was seated when asking a well-traveled man about mosquito eradication after torrential flooding in Pakistan.  Very calmly he responded,  “When the mosquito comes people die.” He then referenced the mosquito as a form of population control.   Typhoid, Dengue fever and West Nile virus come to mind.  I was repulsed by this thought.

Pharmaceutical Management:

Nurses think of these things, but the average population does not plan.  How many of the evacuees prepared a travel kit with their medications or a smaller personal travel kit with a three-day supply of medications?  Our health care infrastructure in the Dallas market will be stressed with the diaspora of misery. The first signals of this distress with be individuals with asthma, COPD, hypertensive crisis.

One thing which we do not want to really think about is dialysis clients.  Cars flood. They can be replaced.  Dialysis machines flood.  This scenario is best left to your better judgment.

Sexual Assault of Minors:

With a massive movement of displaced minors into shelters, children possibly separated from their parents, there will be incidents of sexual assault.

Feminine Hygiene and Reproductive Health:

Texas will experience a spike in live births in about nine months.  Refer back to pharmaceutical management.  Feminine hygiene will be an issue for Houston women residing within their reproductive years.

Care for our Senior Citizens:

Take a moment and consider the care needs of your grandmother in her declining years.  Perhaps movement to a senior residence or nursing home relieved part of the family burden.  Coastal flooding will have created an acute care-gap for these vulnerable and wonderful Americans.

What can you do?

In my own case, I will do what I do best: Continue to provide the warmth of human touch and the healing arts as flood victims stream into our region.

Here is a great resource for disaster relief

I recommend Texas Baptist Men.  This group is respected and well-established. They can be “wheels down” very quickly with mobile kitchens, laundry and shower facilities.  The group is also very respectful of the use of donations to further the need of victims, and not to bolster organizational platform.

Texas Baptist Men

Pray.  Pray for our state and for our volunteers.