"Over the past few days, the Emergency Department has averaged more than 170 visits per day, a three-fold increase over the same period in previous years." Jiang Shaohua, Deputy Director of the Emergency Department of Hainan Cancer Hospital, introduced that most of the patients we received are patients with respiratory infectious diseases, and many of them are middle-aged and old-aged patients who have a combination of chronic and basic diseases.
To proactively respond to the peak of respiratory infections, Hainan Cancer Hospital and Hainan Chengmei Hospital have initiated inter-department collaboration and opened up green channels, implementing multiple measures to ensure the medical needs of patients with respiratory diseases.
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24/7 "uninterrupted”
Multiple measures to ensure medical treatment
As the late winter and early spring approach, respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection enter their peak period. Medical institutions under the First Chengmei Medical Group, including Hainan Cancer Hospital and Hainan Chengmei Hospital, are experiencing a surge in patients seeking treatment for respiratory infections.
The writer observed on-site that the reception, examination, diagnosis, and appropriate treatment... in the emergency room the diagnosis and treatment were well-organized, efficient, and smooth.
Before the peak of respiratory disease treatment, the Emergency Department took measures such as temporarily expanding the observation area, increasing the number of infusion stations and patient resting areas, and dynamically dispatching core medical and nursing staff to ensure 24/7 uninterrupted medical treatment.
For patients with acute and critical respiratory diseases, the Emergency Department and the Respiratory Department will carry out a joint mechanism to achieve an effective connection between pre-hospital emergency care, in-hospital emergency care and in-patient referral. At the same time, a "green channel" for the referral of patients with respiratory emergencies and critical illnesses has been opened to ensure that patients receive timely and professional treatment, to minimise the rate of serious illnesses and reduce the risk of death, and to make every effort to protect the safety and health of patients.
For elderly patients with respiratory diseases combined with other underlying diseases, the Emergency Department links up with the Geriatrics Multidisciplinary Diagnostic and Treatment Center of Hainan Chengmei Hospital to provide specialized, high-quality integrated services of diagnosis and treatment, nursing care and rehabilitation.
Emergency department treating patients (file photo)
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Multiple respiratory diseases spreading simultaneously
How to deal with them scientifically?
Recently, the temperature has been changing, viral infections, mycoplasma infections, bacterial infections, new coronaviruses and other respiratory diseases are intertwined and overlapping trend is obvious, respiratory inpatient wards are also in the "full capacity" state.
Professor Dong Wen, Director of Respiratory Medicine Department at Hainan Cancer Hospital, said the superimposed prevalence of multiple respiratory diseases makes it important to respond scientifically.
Professor Dong Wen introduced that for respiratory diseases, fever is usually the first symptom, which may be accompanied by headache, general joint pain, sore throat, cough, sputum, runny nose and diarrhoea, etc. Most of them can be cured on their own and have a good prognosis, but a small number of patients with serious infections can lead to serious illness or death.
What are the conditions that require a visit to the hospital?
Professor Dong Wen reminded that if symptoms are severe or recurrent and long-lasting, such as persistent high fever, severe cough, especially when combined with chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, etc., one should visit the respiratory medicine outpatient clinic in a timely manner, so that the cause of the disease can be clarified by means of epidemiological screening and imaging tests, and then symptomatic treatments can be administered to reduce the risk of lung infections and complications, and the transmission of infectious diseases can be blocked in a timely manner.
Professor Dong Wen emphasized that special attention should be paid to individuals aged 65 and above, particularly those with comorbidities such as chronic respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, or cancer, as they have weaker immune systems. Early treatment is crucial to prevent the risk of severe pneumonia.
How to prevent respiratory infectious diseases?
Professor Dong Wen said that at present, vaccination against influenza and pneumonia is the safest and most effective measure to reduce the risk of infection, morbidity and the occurrence of serious illnesses of respiratory infectious diseases, and recommended that people without contraindications to vaccination should receive vaccination in a timely manner.
In addition, wearing masks properly, paying attention to hand hygiene, ventilating frequently, eating a balanced diet, having a regular routine and improving immunity are also important means of preventing respiratory infections.
Respiratory medicine doctors and nurses visiting patients (file photo)
Medical staff of the Multidisciplinary Geriatrics Center treating elderly patients (file photo)
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