Children’s hospitals run out of beds as respiratory illness surges among children

Austin, Texas (TEXAS TRIBUNE) – Hospital leaders and medical experts say there is a shortage of pediatric beds across the state as respiratory diseases spread to children faster and more widely than ever before.

As a result of mitigation strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19, after two years of mild flu seasons, medical experts say the number of children developing respiratory illnesses is already far higher this year, and medical He said visits to the center have increased and tensions are rising. resources for treating those children.

Experts attribute this burden to hospital systems still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of healthcare providers.

Dr. Gerald Stagg, a pediatrician who works at Mount Pleasant, said cases of respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, and early flu season were among other respiratory illnesses caused by COVID-19 and other viruses. said it was putting pressure on the hospital system.

“I’ve been doing this for 42 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Stagg said of the number of children needing treatment for respiratory illnesses this year.

Stagg said not only are hospitals overwhelmed because of the high incidence of respiratory illness, but clinics like his are responding to surges in visits for children with the flu. You say you’re having a hard time doing it.

Over the past two months, Stagg said the large health system has had trouble finding beds for sick children who need a higher level of care than rural hospitals can provide. It says.

“We had to ship the kids from a facility in Texas to Arkansas and Louisiana because we couldn’t find beds,” Stagg says.

He added that the shortage of hospital beds is a risk for children with serious non-respiratory illnesses as there is not enough space in intensive care units.

Carey Kroll, vice president of advocacy, public policy and political strategy at the Texas Hospital Association, said the shortage of pediatric beds is a workforce issue. Staffing shortages are still being dealt with after mobs of doctors and other hospital workers have retired or left the field.

“A bed is a bed.

Kroll said the hospital was operating with limited staff, but a surge in respiratory illnesses and increased demand for pediatric care are now straining the hospital system. Many health experts fear the problem will only get worse as cases of flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses are likely to rise in the winter.

Stacey Wilson, president and CEO of the Texas Children’s Hospital Association, said in an emailed statement to the Texas Tribune that early flu season and a sharp rise in RSV cases caused , said emergency room wait times had increased, medical staff strained, and patient numbers had fallen. bed available.

At the Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, visits doubled in the last month due to a number of viral illnesses, Wilson said.

“El Paso Children’s Hospital has seen a 369% increase in RSV cases since August, expanding its limited beds and staffing,” said Wilson. “Similarly, Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock has been at capacity in the past few weeks due to these viruses.”

She added that this year’s flu strain is strong enough to require hospital treatment for some children.

However, not all parts of the state are facing a shortage of hospital space for children.

Hidalgo County Health Official Dr. Ivan Melendez said his area has enough beds and resources to meet the needs of the community at this time.

Melendez warned that this year could see far more flu cases than ever. Federal health data released Friday showed 880,000 flu cases and 360 more cases nationwide reported influenza-related deaths. He said 2009 was the last time the country saw similar rates of influenza. Flu season has just started. Usually he is from October to he is May.

Earlier this month, Hidalgo County reported one of its first child deaths from the flu this season.

“We believe this could be the third ‘high flu’ year since the early 2000s,” Melendez said.

He said this year’s flu epidemic was an unintended consequence of masking and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a community, around the world, we didn’t develop the antibodies that are normally present in the community to protect people,” he said.

To combat the surge in respiratory illness, Melendez and other medical experts strongly recommended vaccination against influenza and COVID-19.

Wilson also urged parents not to seek urgent care for non-urgent medical conditions, such as routine tests or minor symptoms, to avoid overcrowding hospitals and clinics.

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