RSV cases overwhelming pediatric units in Michigan
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan pediatric healthcare leaders are sounding the alarm on hospital bed shortages.
The uptick in Respiratory Syncytial Virus cases, also known as RSV is overwhelming hospitals.
U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is reporting a 100% bed capacity totaling 259 cases so far.
"What we're seeing with our RSV surveillance numbers is that this is an earlier than usual RSV season and a severe RSV season meaning that we have more cases than we did last year and certainly more cases than the year before that," said Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian.
According to The Michigan Health and Hospital Association, pediatric intensive care unit hospital beds across the state are 89% occupied.
Dr. Bagdasarian says parents can help slow the spread by getting children vaccinated for both Covid and Influenza.
"We're also seeing a lot of two-year-old's and three-year-old's who are experiencing their first RSV season and folks in general who haven't really had their immune systems challenged in this way in the last couple of years because of those covid mitigation practices," Bagdasarian said.
Emergency Medicine Chair Dr. Rahul Mehta says RSV hospitalizations at Trinity Health Oakland are up 50% compared to last year.
"Hospitals and pediatric hospitals especially across the country and across this region have been just inundated with a number of pediatric patients," Dr. Mehta said.
"A lot of other community hospitals have been struggling if we have to admit a pediatric patient."
Dr. Metah says parents should pay close attention to their child's breathing patterns if they are feeling under the weather.
"If your child is more irritable, if your child is not eating, if your child is breathing really fast, meaning you watch them breathe and they're breathing 40, 50, 60 times a minute," Dr, Mehta said.
"Naturally, the late signs, if you notice any discoloration in the nail beds or around their mouth."
Doctors recommend having your children wear a mask in public places including school when local case rates of respiratory illnesses are high.
