In April this year, the Institute of Public Health announced that a total of 4,131 cases of the respiratory virus had been reported, which means an increase of 37.3% from the previous year.
Faced with this situation, Marcela Quintas, pediatrician at the Bupa Renaca Clinic Pediatric Emergency Service, explained that “we have seen a significant increase in pediatric consultations, especially for viral infectious diseases, which occur in children under 4 years of age.” are more severe in children, and in particular, in children less than 1 year old.
For this reason, the professional indicated that it is important that people know when going to the emergency room with minors is necessary and when it is not relevant.
Guillermo Zepeda, a pediatric bronchopulmonary specialist at the Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile, says that if a child, regardless of their age, begins to have difficulty breathing, that is, they appear “with an agitated breath between the ribs or “downward languor”, we should go to emergency services immediately, as the minor’s condition may be critical and will eventually require oxygen support.
The doctor also commented that if a child also had a “difficult-to-manage fever” with cough and sputum, in addition to a respiratory problem, that did not go away with normal measures, they should be referred to an emergency. should be taken in room.
According to the professional, if babies under two months of age develop a severe cough that prevents them from feeding properly, they “should go to emergency services, even if they also have a fever or difficulty breathing.” “
Quintas announced that the following signs should be heeded because, if minors experience any symptoms, they should go to the emergency room:
- Newborns with fever or hypothermia.
- Children under 3 months of age with fever, cough, diarrhea, or vomiting.
- Children who refuse oral hydration.
- scanty or foul-smelling urine.
- Fever that is difficult to control or that lasts for more than three days.
- If a child under three months of age has a fever, you should leave immediately.
- Breathing difficulties such as increased respiratory rate, stuffy nose, wheezing, blue lips and trouble speaking.
- any type of visit.
- Children who are too sleepy or disoriented.
- Recurrent vomiting that does not allow for oral hydration.
- Diarrhea with streaks of blood.
If children do not have the symptoms mentioned above, then they can be treated at home. For these cases, the solution is to prevent the accumulation of secretions in the minors’ noses, as well as keeping them hydrated and “giving the patient some type of antipyretic medication if they have fever or pain,” according to Zepeda’s set up.
In addition, he indicated that vaccines against influenza and the coronavirus “remain quite efficient in preventing severe disease.” In addition, it suggests avoiding household contamination, especially cigarette smoke.
This is because children are more susceptible to the condition, as a bronchopulmonary pediatrician remarked that, with cigarette smoke, “the risk of otitis, bronchitis or pneumonia is higher.”
This is added to what the pediatrician said, who indicated that fever should be managed rationally, as it acts as “a defense mechanism against microbes” and “it stimulates the immune system”. also activates, so management should be “judicious to allow the immune system to function, ideally around 38° or 38.5°, unless there is a history of febrile seizures.”
Professionals from the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile indicated that adults can take the following measures to prevent children from becoming infected:
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- Privilege to attend events in open spaces.
- wash hands.
- Clean your nose with a disposable tissue.
- Bring the fold of the elbow to the mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing.
- If you’ll be in closed spaces, the mask still seems useful.
