SGGP
In recent days, the number of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has been complicated, many children's hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City have had to expand their wards and increase the number of doctors. Medical experts warn that the epidemic will continue to increase rapidly and may overload the health system when the peak of the epidemic is near.
 |
| Doctors at Children's Hospital 1 examine a patient with severe hand, foot and mouth disease. |
Rapid progression of pediatric patients
According to statistics from Children's Hospital 1, if last week, the hospital received about 50 children with TCM requiring hospitalization, this week it has increased to more than 200 cases. Doctor Du Tuan Quy, Head of the Department of Neuroinfectious Diseases, said that almost every day, children need to be intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit. TCM is approaching the peak of the epidemic, the hospital is constantly overloaded, hospitalized children have to share 2-3 children per bed. The hospital's medical staff has to work overtime continuously day and night.
In the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning, Children's Hospital 1, there are currently 12 children with TCM who need to be resuscitated, many of whom need ventilators and blood filtration. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Quang, Head of the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning, the Department is treating a 6-month-old patient living in Binh Chanh District (HCMC) with severe TCM who requires blood filtration, intubation, bone marrow injection, and drug infusion...
Currently, Children's Hospital 1 is operating at full capacity with 8 outpatient clinics for children with TCM, with about 400 visits per day. Children are re-examined continuously to promptly detect signs of worsening. The Intensive Care Unit is also ready to reserve 20 out of 30 beds to serve children with severe and very severe TCM.
At the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Le Thi Kim Ngoc, Deputy Head of Pediatrics Department C, said that in previous years, severe TCM cases admitted to the hospital were usually only at level 2a, but for the past month, every day the department has had patients move from level 2a to 2b or up to level 3. Pediatrics Department C has a capacity of less than 50 beds, but currently has 40 cases of level 2a.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control, the city recorded 1,614 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease last week, an increase of nearly 2.5 times compared to the average of the previous 4 weeks. Districts with high numbers of hand-foot-mouth disease cases per 100,000 people are: Binh Tan, Tan Phu, 6, 8 and Binh Chanh districts.
Prepare response plans
According to Dr. Du Tuan Quy, Children's Hospital 1, has experienced major TCM epidemics: 2011, 2018 and this year. With experience in fighting many dangerous epidemics, the hospital is ready with plans for each level. Medical staff must work overtime to meet the current number of patients. Normally, there are only 5 nurses and 2 doctors at night, now it has increased to 6 nurses, 3 main doctors and 2 assistant doctors.
Associate Professor, Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said that the Ho Chi Minh City health sector has developed a response scenario with 3 levels, implementing treatment stratification with the bottom level being specialized pediatric hospitals and the Tropical Diseases Hospital. The Department of Health has assigned Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2, City Children's Hospital and Tropical Diseases Hospital to continue to provide technical expertise and direct hospitals in the southern provinces/cities on the treatment of hand and foot diseases to handle them promptly and minimize the number of deaths. When suspecting that a child has hand and foot diseases, parents should take their child to the nearest medical facility to determine the disease and closely monitor the situation. Parents should not rush to Ho Chi Minh City because they are too worried, causing overload. Provincial hospitals are currently treating this disease well with medicine and specialized personnel. If not given initial care, the child's condition may worsen and become critical on the way to Ho Chi Minh City.
Long An: Number of TCM cases increases rapidly
Director of Long An Province Department of Health Huynh Minh Phuc said that in June, the whole province discovered and handled 9 outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease with 353 cases, a 7-fold increase compared to the previous month (50 cases).
In Tien Giang province, since the beginning of the year, over 500 cases of hand and foot lice have been recorded, down 25.8% compared to the same period in 2022. In Dong Thap province, up to now, it is estimated that there are 1,327 cases of hand and foot lice in the area, down 20% (down 326 cases) compared to the same period in 2022.
NGOC PHUC - PHAN HUY
Source
Comment (0)