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Parents of babies are being cautioned that RSV season has arrived. The virus can cause serious respiratory problems, in some cases requiring babies to be hospitalized for several days.
Now, a new program at several Intermountain Healthcare hospitals in Utah is helping sick babies get treatment earlier and stay out of the hospital.
Karl Ludwig, a respiratory therapist at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, gave us some tips for safeguarding infants and young children against RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.
"If they are starting to get a running nose, start suctioning that nose out so their nose is nice and clear so they can keep breathing well. When the nose gets plugged, they become dehydrated; and when they become dehydrated, then they really start to have problems," Luwig said.
Those problems can cause serious breathing distress, especially for young infants. One to 2 percent of all infants suffer from RSV, typically during the winter months. But because of the treatment babies get at these RSV clinics, more are able to stay out of the hospital.
"Last year, we saw that we were able to keep 80 percent of our children that we would normally admit to the hospital out of the hospital and at home with their families by using the RSV clinic," explained Dr. Russell Osguthorpe, pediatric medical director at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.
The clinic is open 24 hours a day. Patients are referred by their primary doctor and are treated on an outpatient basis.
"When they are really sick, we'll see them three or four times a day. The parent will bring them back, we'll take care of them and send them home, let them come back when they need it. And then as they get better, we see them less and less, and finally we don't see them anymore," Ludwig said.
The RSV clinic brings benefits to both the hospitals and the patients. "It benefits the infant because we are starting treatment earlier, in most cases, and we are also able to keep parents and families out of long lines at the emergency departments, and as well as keep them out of the hospital," Osguthorpe said.
Doctors say the best prevention for RSV, is to make sure everyone in your home frequently washes their hands.
However, if your child does contract the virus and you would like him or her to be seen at an RSV clinic, you must have a referral from your child's physician. Then, you may call 801-855-4314 at American Fork or 801-357-4020 at Utah Valley Regional anytime day or night to reach the Respiratory Outpatient Clinic. The call will be answered by a respiratory therapist who will then set a meeting time and place.
Treatment in the clinic normally takes less than one hour and includes a patient assessment, intervention with suctioning and/or medications and then a re-assessment. Parents can return to the clinic as often as needed while their child is sick.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
