Inside the hospital room
Just stepping out of the hospital room with eyes still not out of tension, Dr. Phan Nhat Khuong - Deputy Head of the ICU Department, Can Tho City Children's Hospital - said that in recent weeks, the department has continuously received and treated about 10 severe cases each day; among them, some babies are only 3-4 months old. Their bodies are still too immature, requiring the team of doctors and nurses to be on duty 24/24 hours to ensure life safety.
Most of the children who have to be transferred to the ICU department are already in a severe stage. The disease not only causes skin damage but has also attacked deeply, directly affecting organs such as the lungs and heart. Therefore, every second during duty is a "battle", every small change in survival indicators also forces the entire team to handle it immediately.
The time we went to the hospital room was also when doctors and nurses were performing professional work for a child patient over 6 months old. To keep the baby safe, they were forced to gently fix his four hands and feet to the bed frame. Each knot was adjusted just right, skillfully to both keep him and ensure he did not break the blisters that caused infection.
About 10 minutes later, in the corner of the opposite room, a 5-month-old baby was X-rayed on the spot.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Trieu (the baby's father, Vinh Long province) choked up: "The baby has been in a coma these days, often struggling and startling. Fortunately, right from the time of admission, the doctors at the ICU Department examined her in time, were on duty day and night to closely monitor every little detail.
The father added that what makes him feel most grateful and warm-hearted is that even in moments of extreme tension or when the situation is temporarily stable, doctors and nurses still always give the family kind and gentle inquiries and explanations.
Understanding psychology
Dr. Khuong confided that each medical staff here trains themselves a cool head and a warm heart. The pressure of the ICU emergency room is very high, but they do not allow themselves to be irritable with the patient's family. On the contrary, everyone tries to explain clearly the baby's condition with the most calm tone to reassure and help parents not be psychologically shocked.
I myself also have young children, so I understand my parents' feelings. Every time I finish a case, with a little short time, I take the opportunity to chat and remind my family members to pay attention to monitoring medical information to take the best care" - a female nurse shared.
According to professional assessments, the hand, foot and mouth disease situation in the Mekong Delta region this year does not have a sudden change compared to previous years in terms of age or virus strain. What is worrying now is that many cases are becoming more severe faster than usual. However, in reality, many parents still maintain the subjective view that this disease only spreads strongly in nurseries and crowded kindergartens. This is a dangerous mistake, because young children at home still have a very high risk of infection from caregivers or surfaces that are not disinfected.
Parents need to pay special attention to the danger warning signs of hand, foot and mouth disease to take children to the hospital immediately, such as children with continuous high fever that is difficult to lower, showing signs of startling and struggling, children crying for no reason, lethargic, weak limbs..." - Dr. Khuong added.
