As cold and flu season ramps up, Children’s National Hospital in D.C. says it’s nearing capacity — and doesn’t expect that to change soon.
The hospital cited a major increase in emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses. The problems are exacerbated by a nationwide shortage of health care workers, Children’s National said in a statement.
“We are seeing very high numbers of very sick children here at Children’s National in the emergency department and in the inpatient wards,” Dr. Sarah Combs said, an emergency medicine physician and director of outreach at the hospital.
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All 328 inpatient beds at Children’s National Hospital were occupied during the week of Oct. 6, according to the most recent data published by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. About 2% of ICU beds were available (Children's National Hospital briefly reached capacity in September 2021 while RSV and COVID-19 cases surged).
Doctors and nurses are seeing an early spike in young children experiencing flu-like symptoms and RSV cases. RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but the infection can be dangerous to some vulnerable groups, including premature babies and infants under 6 months. Here are symptoms to watch for.
From Sept. 10 to Oct. 8, the five-week average of RSV infections detected via antigen tests nearly doubled in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the CDC. RSV season typically peaks in late December to mid-February, then cases drop off from April to May, the CDC said.
The crowded hospital translates to long wait times in the emergency room.
The hospital says it will give immediate care to patients with life-threatening emergencies and is implementing measures to deal with the higher number of patients.
In non-emergency cases, the hospital is asking parents to consider taking children to their primary care provider or urgent care to avoid long wait times.
When Should a Child Go to the Emergency Room Versus Urgent Care?
Dr. Combs said children should go to the emergency room if they are struggling to breathe — if they can’t get air in or out, or if they are gasping.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s MedlinePlus website, you should take a child to the emergency room for problems including trouble breathing, fainting, allergic reactions, high fever, confusion, heavy bleeding and sudden inability to speak, see, walk or move. Here’s the full list.
Urgent care clinics are a good choice for common illnesses, low-grade fevers and minor injuries, MedlinePlus says.
