Padenghe Envelope Incident Sparks Emergency Department Closure and False Anthrax Alarm
While the results of the tests on the contents of the mysterious envelope delivered to a family in Padenghe last Saturday are still unknown, the aftermath of the incident involving the Emergency Department of Desenzano Hospital has not died down. The department was forced to close for nearly six hours, causing significant disruptions and a bit of panic for those who came into contact with the suspicious package.
It was certainly a foolish prank, but it triggered a false alarm of anthrax. The health conditions of the people who were precautiously sent to the Infectious Disease Department of Brescia’s Civil Hospital are not concerning: they were discharged on the same Saturday.
According to the ASL di Brescia, no further details have been provided. The shutdown of the Emergency Department was caused, as stated by the Sanitary Directorate, “by the improper delivery of the envelope, which resulted in a chain of disruptions, culminating in the need to move the access point of the Emergency Department to implement the disinfestation procedure.”
The emergency healthcare facility at the largest hospital on Lake Garda was thus blocked for several hours. However, it should be noted that the alarm plan was initiated within a few minutes. The procedures to follow in the case of suspected anthrax or other unknown substances are quite different.
Yesterday, the Presidio Directorate issued a statement reminding that “in the case of suspected material, the Public Security Authority (phone numbers 112 and 113) must be notified, which will then activate the proper procedures, alerting a hygienist doctor and calling in the disinfestation service.”
“It remains clear that the competent authorities in these cases are the Ministry of the Interior, through the police force, and the local ASL, which is separate from the Hospital Company and thus from the hospital itself. In any case, one should not go to the Emergency Department.”
The panic over anthrax is understandable, comment hospital authorities, but equally understandable are the needs of an important and delicate public service like a hospital emergency room, which cannot be interrupted even for a short period.
