Syracuse, N.Y. – Upstate University Hospital is reopening a closed adult unit this week to temporarily handle an overflow of pediatric patients with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
The unit, closed because of the nursing shortage, is on the 10th floor of Upstate’s East Tower, one floor below Upstate’s 71-bed Golisano Children’s Hospital. It will accommodate up to 15 patients, said Dr. Gregory Conners, Upstate’s pediatrics chief.
“Our nursing staff is putting forth a lot of extra effort so we can open this additional space for children,” Conners said.
Golisano and other children’s hospitals nationwide have been full for weeks because of a big outbreak of RSV. That common virus is usually mild, but can be serious and even fatal in infants, especially those under 6 months.
Golisano is so crowded it’s holding some RSV patients who need to be admitted in the pediatric emergency room. It also has turned away 104 transfers of pediatric RSV patients so far this month from outlying hospitals.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D.-N.Y., is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help Upstate New York hospitals overwhelmed with RSV patients. He said the federal agency can provide hospitals temporary screening tents, extra staffing if they don’t have enough pediatricians and other types of support.
Upstate will expand the hours of its public health hotline — 315-464-3979 — to answer questions about RSV. Nurses will answer calls from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting Monday.
“People have many questions, most recently about RSV and the flu, from symptom management to when should my child see a doctor,” said Joey Angelina, a nurse who co-directs the hotline.
Golisano Children's Hospital. David Lassman | dlassman@syracuse.com
Upstate pediatricians presented an online presentation last week for outlying hospitals to explain how they can care for children with RSV.
Conners believes the RSV surge may be at its peak. “But I worry that as RSV slowly tapers off, influenza will start to rise,” he said. “So we may not see much relief in how many children are getting sick.”
As of Tuesday morning, 29 children with RSV were hospitalized at Upstate.
So far this month 1,000 children have tested positive for RSV at Upstate, up from 617 kids in October.
Most cases of RSV are mild and can be treated at home, Conners said.
Kids most likely to develop serious problems from RSV are those with heart conditions and other health problems, complications from being born premature or newborns just a few days old, according to Conners.
“Those are the kids who should be brought to the emergency department a little more quickly,” he said.
Kids with serious breathing problems who are dehydrated and children under 3 months with a temperature of 101 should also be taken to the emergency department, he said.
Children who are hospitalized may be given oxygen or put on a ventilator. Kids who are dehydrated will get fluids intravenously. Kids with RSV also are sometimes given inhaled asthma medicine like Albuterol.
Upstate said anyone in need of emergency medical assistance should call 911.
Because of the RSV outbreak, Upstate expanded its after hours care program for children at Upstate Community Hospital from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
James T. Mulder covers health. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com