Children hospitalized for respiratory illness increase
From a hospital in Binh Phuoc province, the child was transferred to Children's Hospital 2 (HCMC) for treatment for more than a month. The child had severe pneumonia, and after a period of treatment, the child suffered from diarrhea and vomiting.
Ms. Thi Giang - the patient's mother (Binh Phuoc province) shared: "Seeing that my child had a fever and was purple all over, I took him to the provincial hospital. They said they could not save him because his whole body was purple, and then transferred him to another hospital. Currently, he is doing better, he has not vomited or had diarrhea for the past few days. He continues to be monitored, and there is no discharge date yet."
Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Hoang Phong - Head of Respiratory Department 1, Children's Hospital 2 said that respiratory diseases are transmitted through the air, especially easily spread in collective environments such as schools, making children susceptible to infection at this time. Currently, the epidemic is not yet at its peak, but the number of respiratory cases has begun to increase. Previously, at peak times, the respiratory department received about 350 - 400 patients.
“According to records, the peak of the respiratory epidemic may occur in November. This year, the number of hospitalizations is about 2 weeks later than the same period. Currently, the department is receiving severe cases such as pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and asthma. These are inpatient cases that need to be closely monitored,” added Dr. Phong.
At Children's Hospital 1 (HCMC), the number of children hospitalized due to respiratory diseases from September to December every year tends to increase. The main causes are common viruses such as Rhinovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Adeno, seasonal flu... The respiratory disease surveillance system of the City Disease Control Center also recorded an average of about 17,000 cases of acute respiratory disease per week in the whole city.
The pattern fluctuates seasonally, with the lowest number of respiratory infections occurring in February and March. The highest number of cases occurs between October and December, with over 20,000 cases per week. Children account for about 60% of all cases.
Respiratory disease prevention in children
To address the overload situation, the Ho Chi Minh City health sector has strengthened the work of admitting and treating patients, controlling infections and preventing cross-infection in medical examination and treatment facilities.
To prevent and limit the increase of respiratory diseases during this period, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health recommends that people and educational institutions need to take measures including ensuring clean and airy classrooms; increasing health monitoring of children; early detection of cases with symptoms of fever, cough, runny nose to promptly notify medical facilities. At the same time, supplement children with a reasonable diet. Children need to wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water. This helps reduce the risk of infection of infectious diseases through the respiratory tract.
Parents need to take their children to medical facilities for full and timely vaccination according to the instructions of the health sector. Vaccination will help strengthen the child's immune system.
Pneumonia is a dangerous complication when children have respiratory diseases. Parents need to monitor early symptoms of pneumonia such as children having cough and breathing faster than normal. Rapid breathing is a very early sign that a child has pneumonia.
In addition, parents should also pay attention to signs of severe pneumonia and take their children to the nearest medical facility for consideration of hospitalization: chest retraction, flaring nostrils, groaning, poor feeding or inability to drink, cyanosis. Children at risk of severe respiratory illness need special attention, such as children under 2 months of age; have certain congenital diseases; severe malnutrition; congenital immunodeficiency; have chromosomal abnormalities due to Down syndrome...
