HNTKYP: Measles

HNTKYP: Measles

From How Not to Kill Your Patient by Kevin McFarlane RN & Dr. Lisa Wolf

April 18, 2025 · 47 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the resurgence of measles, its contagious nature, and how healthcare professionals should respond to potential cases.

Measles: It's Back, It's Contagious, and You Probably Haven't Seen It Before In this episode, Kevin and Dr. Lisa Wolf dig into the return of a disease we thought had been eradicated in 2000. In case you missed it—we're in the middle of a national measles outbreak, and chances are high you've never actually seen a real case. Measles is back, and we need to be on high alert, as it remains one of the most contagious diseases in the world. What happens when a patient with a suspicious rash sits in your waiting room for hours? How long does measles hang in the air? (Spoiler: it's longer than you think.) From triage missteps to public health policies, this episode walks through how to identify, isolate, and respond to highly contagious diseases—especially when you've never seen them in real life. We also bust the autism myth (again), talk about vaccine hesitancy, and explore what your ED should be doing to prepare right now. Measles Resources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, September 6). Measles signs and symptoms . U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023…

People in this episode

Hosts: Kevin McFarlane RN, Dr. Lisa Wolf

Topics covered

  • measles
  • public health
  • vaccine hesitancy
  • contagious diseases
  • emergency department preparation

Keywords

  • measles
  • contagious diseases
  • vaccine hesitancy
  • public health
  • emergency department

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Lancet

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