Court order needed to hospitalize tuberculosis patient

NEEDLES — A San Bernardino County court ordered A Needles man diagnosed with tuberculosis to the hospital after he refused to stop showing up to work.

The man, whose name was not released due to patient confidentiality laws, had been diagnosed with the contagious disease at a Las Vegas hospital, where he was treated and released. The hospital notified the Clark County Department of Public Health, according to a release from the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. Knowing that the patient lived in San Bernardino County, Clark County health officials notified the San Bernardino health department in early August.

After following up with the patient and his doctor in Needles, a San Bernardino County public health case manager found that the man had continued reporting to work despite being directed to avoid public contact. County Public Health Director Jim Lindley declined to say where the patient was employed.

The county served the man with a formal order to cease contact with the public on August 28. When officials found that he was still ignoring the order a few days later, the county obtained a court order of detention Thursday requiring hospitalization of the patient. Lindley said that to his knowledge the incident marked the first time a San Bernardino County patient had been taken to treatment by a court order.

The man complied with the order and was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton Thursday night for isolation and treatment.

The District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case for possible criminal prosecution but the patient has not been charged with a crime, Lindley said.

He said the man had a fairly advanced stage of the disease, which can be fatal.

“Many of the strains we’re seeing are multiple-drug resistant tuberculosis,” he said.

Lindley credited a zealous case manager at the health department with following up on the case.

“She really went beyond the call of duty to manage this particular case,” Lindley said.

Tuberculosis is difficult to contract, but the county is testing people who had come in contact with the patient for the disease, he said.  Health officials believe the patient contracted the disease while traveling outside the country.

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed or who exhibits symptoms of tuberculosis should contact a doctor for testing.

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Tubeculosis in San Bernardino County

• Tuberculosis is an infectious and sometimes deadly airborne bacterial disease that typically attacks the lungs of patients but may also affect other parts of the body. Initial symptoms include fever, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, coughing, and night sweats.

• There are currently 93 cases being treated in San Bernardino County.

Source: California Department of Public Health, San Bernardino Department of Public Health