The Amphia Hospital in Breda takes serious account of a scenario in which it must choose which corona patients are helped and which are not. That is what doctor-microbiologist Jan Kluytmans says News hour.
A week ago there was only one corona patient in Amphia, now eight of the thirty beds in intensive care (IC) are occupied by patients with the virus, in addition to patients who receive ‘regular’ acute care. They are on ventilation. Other corona patients in Amphia are in better shape and are being cared for in quarantine rooms.
Kluytmans: “We are shocked by the speed of development. If the rapid increase continues, we will enter what we call internal code black. We really want to prevent that. Then we will no longer be able to provide all care.”
Triage
In a number of Italian hospitals, doctors already have to due to a lack of resources choose between patients. Kluytmans: “That is what Triage is called, so you choose who will and will not help you. That is terrible and doctors find it very difficult.”
The Amphia takes many measures to prevent such a situation. “We are already in code red. We are no longer performing non-emergency surgeries. We are now training nurses very quickly to assist with rescue breathing.”
For the time being, Amphia still has sufficient space and resources, and hospitals in the area can still take over patients. “All hospitals have said they can double their capacity,” says Kluytmans. “But if we go over the limit and the region can’t deal with it because they have the same problem, then we’re really short.”
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Kluytmans approves of the measures announced by the cabinet today. “I think that people are very persevering. It is very important that we keep social contacts to a minimum.”
“You can always do more, but the question is whether that adds something. And there are other sides to the measures than just the medical ones. Disruption of society, socio-economic consequences, which must be taken into account. If you leave everyone at home like in Wuhan, nobody will be in touch anymore and the virus will stop. But then society will stop too. “
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