Hot weather, children hospitalized increase

(Baonghean) - The hot weather in recent days, with temperatures ranging from 35-38 degrees Celsius, has disrupted people's daily lives and increased the number of children hospitalized. On May 4-5, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital received over 1,000 patients per day compared to 300-400 patients during the 6-day holiday. Children hospitalized mainly suffered from digestive and respiratory diseases.

Waiting for a visit and examination at the Examination Department of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital (morning of May 5). Photo: D.N

In the hospital's Respiratory Department, to accommodate 96 inpatients, the department had to place beds along the corridor to limit double occupancy to avoid cross-infection. The largest increase in patients was in the Gastroenterology Department. Currently, the department has 22 patients being treated, nearly double the usual number. Most of the cases are pediatric patients with viral gastrointestinal diseases.

Nguyen Duy Anh, 10 months old, from Nghi Hoa commune (Nghi Loc), was hospitalized with symptoms of fever, vomiting and diarrhea many times a day. The baby's mother, Dang Thi Anh, said that she gave the baby medicine but it did not help, the baby showed signs of fatigue so the family took the baby to the hospital. In the case of diarrhea, in hot weather, the child becomes tired due to dehydration.

According to Dr. Tran Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, high environmental temperatures make children sweat easily, so their bodies are easily dehydrated. Hot weather also makes children eat less, leading to a decrease in resistance. On the other hand, hot weather creates favorable conditions for intermediate species such as flies and mosquitoes to develop and viruses and bacteria to multiply, causing diseases of the digestive and respiratory tracts. Children with weak resistance are susceptible to many diseases at the same time from digestive tract and rhinitis, pharyngitis, otitis media, etc. When children have respiratory and digestive diseases, the initial symptom is usually fever. Therefore, doctors note that during sunny weather and high temperatures, children should be careful to prevent high fever leading to convulsions.

At the Department of Infectious Diseases, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, there are currently 22/66 children being treated at the department with symptoms of high fever and convulsions, mainly caused by respiratory viruses. Nguyen Huu Hung, 2 years old, in Dong Vinh Ward (Vinh City) was hospitalized with a high fever and convulsions all over the body. This is a child with a history of convulsions, but in hot weather, parents could not control their child's activities, leading to a recurrence of the above condition. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai, Hung's mother, said that for nearly a week now, the hot weather has made Hung eat less, and he often runs and sweats a lot, so he is tired. He has had a fever for 2 days now, but his mother often has the habit of using her hand to check if he has a fever or not. Because it is hot, Ms. Hoai did not feel his fever, and before she could give him medicine, he had a convulsion.

Visiting pediatric patients at the Department of Infectious Diseases, NA Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital. Photo: D.N

Another case is that of Nguyen Linh Dan, 15 months old, in Cua Nam ward (Vinh city). Although the family monitored her health, took her temperature and gave her fever-reducing medicine, the fever still could not be stopped and because they did not take her to a medical facility in time, she had a seizure.

Dr. Nguyen Van Son, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, recommends: Initial treatment for children with fever is very important, by giving them the right antipyretics and rehydration. In addition, parents can perform simple fever-reducing techniques for their children by wiping them cool, placing them in a cool place, loosening their clothes, etc. A thermometer should be used to monitor the child's condition. In reality, there are some cases where children do not respond to certain antipyretics, making it difficult to stop the fever. In these cases, parents should take their children to the nearest medical facility for treatment. Although recently, the department has not had any serious complications due to high fever or convulsions. However, the risk of complications due to high fever or convulsions is very high and leaves sequelae such as epilepsy, affecting brain development, etc.

To effectively prevent diseases for children during hot weather like now, doctors advise that it is necessary to increase children's resistance through a reasonable diet, adequate nutrition and cleanliness for children. Give children plenty of water at the right temperature, do not give children too cold water. On the other hand, on hot days, children should not go out much, limit contact with crowded places to avoid sources of infection. In hot weather, children often sweat a lot, so they should be wiped promptly, to avoid the case of sweat seeping back and causing illness for children. Families using fans and air conditioners should use them properly, at the right temperature. When children have symptoms of fever, prolonged cough, they should be taken immediately to the nearest medical facility for examination, treatment and purchase of medicine according to the doctor's prescription; do not arbitrarily buy medicine outside for children to drink, which can easily affect the liver, kidneys... and endanger their lives.

Dinh Nguyet