Naples, Santobono doubles the number of children visiting the emergency room

The emergency room of theSantobono pediatric hospital di Napoli is experiencing a moment of strong attendance, with a number of accesses almost double compared to the usual averages.

The head of the emergency room, Vincenzo Tipo, told news agencies that the number of children arriving in emergency situations has risen from the usual 200 admissions per day to the current average of 320, with a peak of 420 arrivals on December 26.

"This situation - Tipo explained - has put a strain on the organization set up for the emergency room during this Christmas and New Year's holiday period. We are experiencing the maximum peak of the respiratory syncytial virus that causes bronchiolitis in small children.

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This virus is now going hand in hand with the strong flu. Together they bring respiratory problems for very young children who often need oxygen therapy due to the respiratory problem. The flu then affects older children, with high fever and resistance to normal antipyretics, circumstances that they make parents scared. And this virus often leads to bronchitis.”

Covid, on the other hand, is not the main cause of overcrowding in the emergency room. The spread of the virus among children is very low and not serious.

 Staff holiday plan changed

To accommodate the sudden increase in admissions, Santobono had to modify its staff vacation plan. “We asked doctors and nurses if they would be available to return to work, if possible, and many agreed to the request. We had a strong response from doctors and nurses, which allowed us to work well in the emergency room”, Tipo said.

The head physician then concluded with an appeal to families: "We hope that the contagion will decrease, but the forecast is that this will not happen until mid-February. I remind families that it is important to try to protect children because the viruses of this period are very contagious, large gatherings must be avoided and if it is absolutely necessary to frequent very crowded environments it would be better to do so with a mask".

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