There is no vacancy for a pediatric ICU in the state of São Paulo and, therefore, there was no option to refer…
SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – A 1-year-old boy spent a week intubated in the emergency room of the Hospital Regional de Cotia (SP), with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, waiting for a vacancy in the pediatric ICU.
According to doctors, there is a shortage of pediatric vacancies in the state due to an increase in cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome, associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
According to a doctor from the unit heard by the report, who asked not to be identified, there is no pediatric ICU vacancy in the state of São Paulo and, therefore, there was no option where to refer the child.
Without adequate resources, the child’s health deteriorated throughout the week, he says. The saturation reached 33% –normal is equal to or above 95%–, and the heart reached 200 beats per minute, when it should have been 130, at most.
Another doctor, linked to a municipal hospital, says that in recent weeks there has been a widespread complaint of a lack of neonatal and pediatric ICU vacancies.
On the night of this Monday (1st), the Secretary of State for Health reported that the patient would be transferred to Hospital Cândido Fontoura to “follow treatment in a pediatric ICU”.
The measure occurred after Folha de S.Paulo questioned the state secretary of Health, Eleuses Paiva, about a possible blackout of pediatric ICU vacancies and informed him about the boy’s drama.
Paiva denied that there was a collapse of state vacancies, but says that there was an increase in pressure in the urgent care, emergencies and ICUs of hospitals due to the circulation of the respiratory virus.
“We have respiratory syncytial virus circulation, not only in São Paulo but in other states in the South and Southeast. It has affected children and neonates, causing respiratory failure, requiring intubation. In general, the evolution is good, ”he said.
According to the secretary, the state network has expanded vacancies for pediatric and neonatal ICUs, and in the coming days the trend is for a cooling of the number of cases of the viral syndrome.
“This epidemic has been going on for about 30, 40 days, and we believe we are in the final phase of it. In 15, 20 days, we will be coming out of this phase.”
The grandmother, Adriana Silva, said that on the 23rd, the boy had shortness of breath and was quickly taken to the emergency room at the hospital in Cotia.
“He was admitted and on Tuesday they were intubated. Then they said he had water in his lungs and they put a drain on him. Then they said he had an infection due to the drain.”
Adriana says that, with the worsening of the health condition, the child was transferred by ambulance early on Sunday (30) to a hospital in Itapecerica da Serra, which has a pediatric ICU.
“When we got there, they said there was no vacancy, and the ambulance took the boy back to Cotia. He has a nasogastric tube, connected to a bunch of devices. It’s this push-and-pull game. It’s desperate.”