OUT OF MEDICINE AND TRANSFER TO HOSPITAL
At Can Tho Children's Hospital (which receives pediatric patients from the entire Mekong Delta region), since the beginning of the year, the hospital has received more than 2,400 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), including 426 inpatient cases.
According to Dr. Huy Thanh, Deputy Director of Can Tho Children's Hospital, since May, the number of TCM cases has increased to 409 cases (an increase of 140%) compared to the previous month. In particular, in just the first 2 weeks of June, there were 390 more cases, of which 80 were inpatients. The number of severe TCM cases has increased significantly; 1 grade 4 case died, 5 grade 3 severe cases were transferred to higher-level hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City.
"Currently, there are still 10 very severe grade 3 and 4 cases being actively treated at the hospital. However, the difficulty is that the Immunoglobulin medicine for TCM treatment is running out. If in the next 1-2 weeks, the number of patients continues to increase without a new source of medicine, it will be very difficult," said Dr. Ong Huy Thanh.
A child with severe hand, foot and mouth disease is being treated at Children's Hospital 1.
The Department of Health of Ca Mau province said that the number of TCM cases is appearing in all areas of the province. In the first 5 months of 2023, the province recorded more than 332 TCM cases, while in the same period in 2022, only 7 cases were recorded. Although there have been no deaths, the number of severe cases has increased alarmingly. The health sector of Ca Mau is also facing many difficulties when some specific treatment drugs such as Phenobarbital, intravenous Immunoglobulin (for treatment of level 2b and above) have been exhausted due to bidding and are still waiting for bidding procedures.
In Bac Lieu, Dr. Do Thi Yen, Head of the Pediatrics Department, Bac Lieu General Hospital, said that on average, 10-20 cases of TCM are recorded each day, but there are 4-5 severe cases of grade 2b, grade 3, and 4. Recently, the hospital received and treated 2 grade 4 cases requiring dialysis and mechanical ventilation.
In An Giang, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh, etc., the number of TCM cases in children is also increasing alarmingly. An Giang has recorded 380 TCM cases since the beginning of the year, an increase of 14% over the same period. It is forecasted that the number of cases will continue to increase in the coming time, especially when students return to school for the new school year.
In Dong Thap, since the beginning of the year, 750 cases of HFMD have been recorded, an increase of 25% compared to the same period in 2022, of which over 60% are children under 3 years old. In the past 2 weeks, the number of HFMD cases in this province has tended to increase, with an average of nearly 70 cases per week. In addition, the province has handled 24 HFMD outbreaks, double the same period. Of the total HFMD cases, most were mild grade 1 and 2, but there were still cases with severe clinical severity.
NOTES FOR PARENTS
Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Quang, Head of the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning, Children's Hospital 1, said that in the past month, provincial hospitals in the Mekong Delta have admitted pediatric TCM patients in severe and critical condition (level 3, 4). Children's Hospital 1 has conducted remote consultations to save many critically ill pediatric patients because transferring them to another hospital is very dangerous.
"Parents need to pay attention that the HFMD season has begun, especially with the appearance of Enterovirus 71 (EV71), which is a common cause of severe HFMD with a high risk of death. Therefore, HFMD patients need to be diagnosed early, closely monitored and treated promptly," said Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Quang.
Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Quang also noted that children with sore throats, rashes, blisters on the palms, soles, buttocks, knees, etc. should go to a medical facility for diagnosis, especially when accompanied by signs of being startled. Severe signs of HFMD that need attention include high, persistent fever that is difficult to reduce, fever lasting more than 2 days, frequent vomiting, startled dizziness, trembling limbs, staggering, cold hands and feet, sweating, lethargy, labored breathing, etc. When these signs appear, the child should be taken to the hospital immediately for timely emergency care.
HCMC DRUG PLANNING
In Ho Chi Minh City, the number of TCM cases is also increasing, but the biggest concern of Ho Chi Minh City is the problem of provinces transferring serious cases. In this situation, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health proposed that the Ministry of Health support the supply of treatment drugs. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City hospitals have enough drugs for the city, but when many provinces transfer patients, there is a risk of running out of drugs early. The Ministry of Health then replied that drugs will be available in July 2023.
On the other hand, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health directed the Center for Disease Control (HCDC) to deploy and monitor activities to prevent and control hand-foot-mouth disease throughout the area. Hospitals specializing in pediatrics and tropical diseases provided training for lower-level treatment. Educational institutions implemented measures to prevent and control hand-foot-mouth disease.
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