Right now, there are only four hospital emergency rooms in America with the appropriate biohazard containment units to take care of Ebola patients. That is a rather small number when the possibility of an Ebola outbreak in the United States and North America as a whole is considered.

A full-on Ebola epidemic is unlikely on this continent. However, the first hospital in the U.S. to deal with Ebola failed at containing it. News of two nurses who treated Ebola patients at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas becoming infected has been the top story of many media outlets. Those who were exposed are only just now getting the all-clear.

So, what measures are American emergency rooms taking to improve their containment protocols and prepare for a possible Ebola outbreak nationwide?

Most hospital ERs have been conducting staff meetings on how to handle Ebola and suspected Ebola cases. They are constantly improving and updating their patient management protocols as new information on Ebola safety and containment becomes available.

Administrators are stocking up on the newest Ebola treatments that are being churned out of the nation's laboratories at lightning speed, so they can offer the best of care to people who do have Ebola. Many ERs are also running Ebola drills.

Probably one of the most important things the nation's ERs are doing is preparing to educate the public about Ebola. As flu season nears, it is expected that ERs across the country will see a higher than average number of patients, because many of them will be concerned that their symptoms are Ebola.

It will be important going forward to educated the public on how Ebola is transmitted (and how it isn't), what the real symptoms look like and what to do if they think they have been exposed to Ebola. This public outreach and education should keep unnecessary ER visits to a minimum, so doctors there can concentrate their efforts on people who are really sick.

Hospitals are also stocking up on masks and other personal protection equipment to ensure the safety of their workers. The typical Ebola protocol for most hospitals will go similarly to the one developed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In UPMC's scenario, patients who present at the ER with suspected symptoms of Ebola will undergo the following intake procedure:

• They will be asked whether they have traveled to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea or any West Africa nation.
• They will be asked whether they have come into contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with Ebola.
• The patient will be offered a protective mask to help prevent the spread of Ebola or any other disease the patient may be carrying.
• Testing will be done to rule out Ebola. If Ebola can be ruled out and some other disease diagnosed, the patient will be treated and sent home with a prescription, or admitted into a regular room as needed.
• If Ebola cannot be ruled out, the patient will be sent to a containment room where personnel in special protective gear will treat him or her until a definite diagnosis can be made. If it is not Ebola, the patient will be released from containment and treated appropriately for whatever the patient does have. If it is Ebola, the patient will remain in isolation and treated appropriately there until no longer contagious, then sent home.

In these ways, American ERs are preparing for a possible outbreak of Ebola. Similar measures are being taken in Canada. When it comes to containing and successfully treating Ebola should the need occur, most American ER personnel believe they are ready.