PHOENIX — With cases expected to increase during Arizona's dry season, Banner Health is introducing a new method for early detection of Valley fever.
Banner Urgent Care Medical Director Robert Johns said people develop Valley fever by inhaling fungal spores found in Arizona soil.
“Valley fever can occur year-round, but is especially likely to occur when the ground is dry and fungal spores are airborne,” Johns said in a press release. “It's endemic in the southwestern United States.”
The severity of the infection can range from mild to severe. Most patients have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, chest pain, cough, joint pain, and rash. Many patients can recover without medical intervention, but in others the disease may progress.
At that time, medical problems become serious. As Valley fever progresses, acute respiratory failure, pulmonary nodules and cavities, and deep lung infections such as meningitis may develop.
How Banner health detects valley fever early
Banner Urgent Care Facility has a new Valley Fever Dashboard that healthcare workers can use to stay ahead of severe cases.
The dashboard provides real-time information about Valley Fever activity across the state. However, we focus specifically on Maricopa County.
The dashboard also shows providers the percentage of patients within the Banner Health network who are testing positive for the disease.
In addition to the dashboard, Banner Urgent Care will also use a new process to screen all pneumonia patients for Valley fever unless other causes of infection are known.
This could help prevent patients who develop certain types of pneumonia caused by Valley fever from being hospitalized or requiring surgery to remove part of their lungs.
“We want to be proactive and prevent this from happening to anyone,” Johns said.
John Gargiani, director of the Valley Fever Center at Banner University Medical Center, said the new process serves as a preventative measure.
“About half of Valley fever diagnoses at Banner Urgent Care are performed on patients who don't technically have clear-cut pneumonia,” Gargiani said. “That means other patients with more vague symptoms, such as persistent fatigue, respiratory symptoms, joint pain, or rash, may also be good candidates for Valley fever testing.”
