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Emergency room visits surge; hospital issues urgent alert
2025-11-01 16:20
Zhejiang
Source: The Paper
With the sudden drop in temperature and increased population movement, the pediatrics department of Taizhou Municipal Hospital has seen a surge in patient visits. It is understood that the number of children seeking treatment for fever and cough has increased significantly recently, with outpatient visits up by approximately 15% compared to before the National Day holiday.
Increase in patient visits
Hand, foot and mouth disease and respiratory infections are relatively common.
Currently, hand-foot-mouth disease and respiratory infections are common among children seeking medical attention. "The autumn and winter environment is conducive to the survival and spread of viruses. In addition, increased indoor activities and dense crowds significantly increase the risk of mixed infections with multiple pathogens (including the asymptomatic hand-foot-mouth virus)," said Yang Xiaohua, deputy chief physician of the Department of Pediatrics at Taizhou Municipal Hospital.
Common symptoms of hand-foot-mouth disease include fever, oral blisters or ulcers, oral pain, loss of appetite, and drooling. The rash typically appears on the palms, soles, and perianal area, and consists of red maculopapular rashes or blisters. In addition, a few children may experience lethargy and vomiting.
If a child with hand-foot-mouth disease has a persistent high fever, vomiting, limb tremors, unsteady standing, or rapid breathing, cold hands and feet, and pale complexion, they should seek medical attention immediately.
Respiratory infections encompass a variety of diseases with varying symptoms: they may include runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fever, cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing (three-recession sign); acute laryngitis may present with a "barking" cough, hoarseness, inspiratory stridor, and difficulty breathing.
Children with respiratory infections who experience breathing problems, such as rapid breathing (more than 50 breaths per minute when infants are at rest), wheezing, difficulty breathing, three-recession sign (recession of the supraclavicular fossa, suprasternal fossa, and intercostal spaces), or obvious hoarseness, as well as infants refusing to drink milk/eat, should seek medical attention promptly.
Doctors remind
To prevent diseases such as hand-foot-mouth disease and respiratory infections, we can start with home prevention and specific prevention.
The core of family prevention lies in "maintaining hygiene, frequent ventilation, avoiding gatherings, and strengthening physical fitness": the whole family (especially parents) should wash their hands frequently, keep the environment clean and ventilate regularly, reduce taking children to crowded places during peak disease seasons, and enhance children's own resistance through balanced nutrition and sufficient sleep.
Specific prevention emphasizes the scientific use of vaccines and immunizing agents: timely vaccination against influenza, EV-A71 hand-foot-and-mouth disease, etc., to prevent infection by specific pathogens. Eligible infants can receive nicevirumab before the flu season to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
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2025-11-01 16:20
Zhejiang
Source: The Paper
With the sudden drop in temperature and increased population movement, the pediatrics department of Taizhou Municipal Hospital has seen a surge in patient visits. It is understood that the number of children seeking treatment for fever and cough has increased significantly recently, with outpatient visits up by approximately 15% compared to before the National Day holiday.
Increase in patient visits
Hand, foot and mouth disease and respiratory infections are relatively common.
Currently, hand-foot-mouth disease and respiratory infections are common among children seeking medical attention. "The autumn and winter environment is conducive to the survival and spread of viruses. In addition, increased indoor activities and dense crowds significantly increase the risk of mixed infections with multiple pathogens (including the asymptomatic hand-foot-mouth virus)," said Yang Xiaohua, deputy chief physician of the Department of Pediatrics at Taizhou Municipal Hospital.
Common symptoms of hand-foot-mouth disease include fever, oral blisters or ulcers, oral pain, loss of appetite, and drooling. The rash typically appears on the palms, soles, and perianal area, and consists of red maculopapular rashes or blisters. In addition, a few children may experience lethargy and vomiting.If a child with hand-foot-mouth disease has a persistent high fever, vomiting, limb tremors, unsteady standing, or rapid breathing, cold hands and feet, and pale complexion, they should seek medical attention immediately.
Respiratory infections encompass a variety of diseases with varying symptoms: they may include runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fever, cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing (three-recession sign); acute laryngitis may present with a "barking" cough, hoarseness, inspiratory stridor, and difficulty breathing.Children with respiratory infections who experience breathing problems, such as rapid breathing (more than 50 breaths per minute when infants are at rest), wheezing, difficulty breathing, three-recession sign (recession of the supraclavicular fossa, suprasternal fossa, and intercostal spaces), or obvious hoarseness, as well as infants refusing to drink milk/eat, should seek medical attention promptly.
Doctors remind
To prevent diseases such as hand-foot-mouth disease and respiratory infections, we can start with home prevention and specific prevention.
The core of family prevention lies in "maintaining hygiene, frequent ventilation, avoiding gatherings, and strengthening physical fitness": the whole family (especially parents) should wash their hands frequently, keep the environment clean and ventilate regularly, reduce taking children to crowded places during peak disease seasons, and enhance children's own resistance through balanced nutrition and sufficient sleep.
Specific prevention emphasizes the scientific use of vaccines and immunizing agents: timely vaccination against influenza, EV-A71 hand-foot-and-mouth disease, etc., to prevent infection by specific pathogens. Eligible infants can receive nicevirumab before the flu season to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
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