According to the teaching hospitals, no further measures need to be taken nationwide in children’s intensive care units yet. Due to the RS virus, among other things, he is very busy in hospitals, but for the moment this pressure is manageable.
The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) announced this on Tuesday after a consultation with university hospitals. President Károly Illy of the Dutch Pediatric Association also confirms that no measures will be taken for the time being.
The busyness in hospitals is a consequence, among other things, of the RS virus, a respiratory tract infection that circulates every year in the cold months. Adults can catch a cold from the virus, but in children, it can cause severe shortness of breath. The flu wave also contributes to the crowd.
The Netherlands has seven pediatric ICs, which are part of university hospitals. According to the UMCG, they can handle crowds by working well with general hospitals. For example, a child who has recovered sufficiently may be transferred from the intensive care unit to the nursing department of a regular hospital.
Groningen University Hospital sometimes puts sixteen and seventeen year olds in intensive care units for adults. “This provides extra air,” explains a spokesperson. Some scheduled surgeries, such as organ transplants, may be postponed.
