Healthcare workers at Dartmouth Health Children’s say New Hampshire is facing an unprecedented rise in childhood respiratory illnesses. Wednesday’s New Hampshire Hospital Association daily report showed again that beds in the state’s pediatric intensive care units are unavailable for the common respiratory virus, one of a kind that can cause the common cold or bronchitis. according to dr Keith Loud, chief medical officer at Dartmouth Health Children’s, the virus tends to affect infants and young children whose airways are narrow, sometimes making it very difficult to breathe. He said the virus has been overwhelming this season. “This is not a typical winter and sadly we are seeing a record number of children needing to be in emergency rooms and hospitals across the country for additional support in inpatient units,” Loud said. While reports of a shortage of pediatric intensive care unit beds in the area continue, Loud said he wanted to reassure the public that steps are being taken to get children through this unprecedented surge, from ensuring availability across its network to expanding place in the inpatient department of the hospital. “Our transport teams also ensure that the most seriously ill children have access to our intensive care at CHaD and that these services are as available as possible,” he said. Dartmouth’s pediatric experts work in partnership with other hospitals in the state. “To ensure there is adequate equipment should children need to be seen in emergency rooms and hospitals in your community, as well as the ability to sometimes admit those children to hospitals where they would not normally be seen,” Loud said. There is no vaccine for RSV, according to Loud, it is important to get vaccinated against other diseases whenever possible to avoid hospitalization. Anyone who is ill should also try to avoid contact with vulnerable populations, including children.
Healthcare workers at Dartmouth Health Children’s say New Hampshire is facing an unprecedented rise in childhood respiratory illnesses.
Wednesday’s New Hampshire Hospital Association daily report again showed no available beds in the state’s pediatric intensive care units.
Respiratory syncytial virus is a common respiratory virus, one of a variety that can cause the common cold or bronchitis. according to dr Keith Loud, chief medical officer at Dartmouth Health Children’s, the virus tends to affect infants and young children whose airways are narrow, sometimes making it very difficult to breathe. He said the virus has been overwhelming this season.
“This is not a typical winter and sadly we are seeing a record number of children needing to be in emergency rooms and hospitals across the country for additional support in inpatient units,” Loud said.
As reports of a shortage of pediatric intensive care unit beds continue to surface in the area, Loud said he wanted to reassure the public that steps are being taken to get children through this unprecedented surge, from ensuring availability on his network to to expand the space, the inpatient department of the hospital.
“Our transport teams are also working to ensure that the most seriously ill children have access to our critical care capacity at CHaD and that these services are as available as possible,” he said.
Dartmouth’s pediatric experts work in partnership with other hospitals in the state.
“To ensure there is adequate equipment in case children need to be seen in emergency rooms and hospitals in your community, as well as the ability to sometimes admit those children to hospitals where they would not normally be seen,” Loud said.
There’s no vaccine for RSV, so Loud says it’s important to get vaccinated against other diseases whenever possible to avoid hospitalization. Anyone who is ill should also try to avoid contact with vulnerable populations, including children.