Adriana santagati
08/09/2020 - 15:51
- Clarín.com
- Society
In Santa Cruz, the Government's decision to use intensive therapy for children for patients with coronavirus put the pediatric therapists at the Rio Gallegos regional hospital on a war footing. However, it is not the only district that advances in the alternative of using pediatric care areas for adults : the possibility is being studied in the city of Buenos Aires and the province is already training professionals in this regard.
Winter is the season of greatest demand for pediatric Intensive Care Units (ICUs) , both in hospitals specialized in the care of children and in general ones. The reason: respiratory viruses, led by respiratory syncytium and the disease it causes, bronchiolitis. But this year, the covid-19 changed the scene. To a large extent due to preventive measures - hand washing, chinstrap and social distancing, they prevent the transmission of all viruses - and also due to a certain biological behavior of the other pathogens that make "place" for a new virus such as SARS- CoV-2, there were far fewer cases of respiratory illnesses involving infants and children.
In contrast, the demand for general UTIs is increasing due to the rise in coronavirus cases. According to the last part of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, in the AMBA the occupation of ICU beds is 65.8%, when a week ago it was 64.5%. There, then, the option arises to use that “idle capacity” of pediatric ICUs to refer adult covid patients.
In the province of Buenos Aires, pediatric hospital personnel are already being trained so that they can serve adults in case the demand on the system brings it closer to the limit. And adaptations are also being made in the services to provide this response. However, official sources clarified, this will be “ while having all the pediatric beds that are necessary . But as today there are many more than are needed, they are being converted into adult beds ”. The adaptation promoted by the Hospital Directorate began about 15 days ago, but it is not immediate : "It is a slow process because you not only have to train people but also have some kind of equipment to finish adapting beds for adults."
In the City of Buenos Aires, the measure is "under evaluation." The Ministry of Health told this newspaper that it is not something that is going to be done in the short term, but that "if the need existed," the implementation of adult beds in the Pedro de Elizalde hospital , the former Casa Cuna, would be considered. In principle, in the planning of the ministry this option is analyzed for this hospital in Barracas and not in Gutiérrez in Palermo.
Last week, this information was circulated in the former Casa Cuna, which put the medical community on alert . The first reaction was a letter written by the infectologist Rubén Sosa, head of Ward 2 of the hospital. In it, with a lot of poetry, Sosa lists how the hospital —which turned 241 years old on Friday— always responded to the City's health needs and makes it clear that it will do so again if necessary in this crisis as well , but asks the authorities looking for other alternatives to avoid it. “That measures be taken in advance, so that SHE, the Birthplace of all, can wait in peace. With its doors open to legions of children who come from the deep suburbs, to those who arrive from other bordering countries because there they lost all hope, to those who sign the voluntary discharge in clinics and other places and thus, almost without strength, they hit the window of that guard that never sleeps. She does not wait for her grown children, she waits for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren , she is there for them ”, the doctor wrote.
The one who transcribes Sosa's metaphors is Jorge Gilardi, head of the Association of Municipal Doctors. Gilardi expresses that there are "infinite medical, sanitary and technical reasons" for not putting adult beds in child therapy. “All the beds that are needed will have to be made instead . There are boys with cardiovascular diseases, who suffer accidents. It would be closing possibilities to children who today are tremendously affected psychologically and medically. Also, child therapists do not have to do adult therapy. For wanting to do good would be a public health mistake ”.
After the repercussion of the letter in the hospital environment, according to Gilardi, high sources of the Buenos Aires government assured him that this will not be done for now . In the Buenos Aires government they emphasize that "there is nothing defined" and that they are permanently monitoring the health situation and the demand for beds, that they are "looking at options and talking with the different actors."
In this sense, they point out that 20 days ago 50 therapy beds were added in different hospitals in the City, where today there are 450 places for critically ill patients and 291 are occupied. And they point out that in case the situation makes it necessary to enable beds for covid at Elizalde, specialized personnel would be referred to ICUs in adults and care would not fall on pediatric therapists.
ACE
