OKLAHOMA CITY — In an effort to ease stress on hospitals grappling with a surge in respiratory virus cases, Oklahoman hospitals will quickly have the pliability to increase pediatric entry.
Keith Reed, the state commissioner of well being, mentioned Tuesday that he despatched a letter to licensed hospitals permitting them the choice of quickly altering mattress designations from grownup to pediatric.
The change, Reed mentioned, comes as the variety of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, cases continues to climb, and Oklahoma’s largest pediatric hospitals are reporting mattress occupancy charges of at the least 80%. While most hospitals have reported an affect, the metro areas have borne the brunt of the surge as a result of they’ve the biggest capability to obtain and care for youngsters.
“The hope is that we can go upstream and decompress and allow those hospitals some flexibility as well if they only have a handful of pediatric beds or a couple pediatric beds,” Reed mentioned. “This gives them the flexibility to increase that and may prevent some of the need to transfer patients around the state.”
Children beneath 2 are most in danger for issues from RSV, however it will also be harmful for these with lung or coronary heart illness or who’re immunocompromised. The signs are comparable to different viruses like congestion, runny nostril, fever, cough and respiratory issues. In most cases, RSV signs go inside per week, however when youngsters begin to battle to breath and maintain meals and fluids down due to congestion, it’s time to discuss to a health care provider, consultants mentioned.
Reed mentioned he is aware of staffing, sources and gear are essential points to contemplate when taking good care of pediatric sufferers, however well being officers hope the brand new flexibility will quickly take away a regulatory barrier.
He mentioned RSV p.c positivity is on the rise, and the virus is actively circulating in all components of the state. All areas, besides the southwest, now have over 10% positivity charges.
Dr. Cameron Mantor, chief medical officer for Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, mentioned the power has about 275 youngsters’s hospital beds. At a number of factors over the past couple of weeks, each single mattress was occupied. Their 26-bed emergency room had between 10 and 15 sufferers ready to be admitted. It’s led to conditions the place elective admissions have had to be delayed.
Mantor mentioned about 40% of OU Children’s sufferers proper now have RSV. Another 10% are hospitalized with the flu. He mentioned they’ve solely had one or two pediatric hospitalizations associated to COVID-19.
Mantor mentioned hospitals often see a fairly vital bump in cases between November and March, however this yr the virus has arrived a number of weeks early.
Staffing points have additionally put stress on OU’s capability to care for youngsters.
Mantor mentioned the brand new flexibility ought to assist hospitals. His hospital, for occasion, is looking at new ways during which they’ll attempt to increase their care if they’ll discover the workers and physicians to cowl the brand new beds.
He mentioned they’re making an attempt to give you ways to “decompress our emergency room.”
Janelle Stecklein covers the Oklahoma Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and web sites. Reach her at [email protected].
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