RSV driving infants and toddlers to Children's ER at HSC in high numbers

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Elevated patient numbers in the children’s intensive care department at HSC are being driven by young infants and toddlers who continue to be hospitalized at high rates due to RSV-related illness.

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According to Shared Health, there were 17 pediatric patients receiving intensive care Wednesday morning. The normal baseline capacity for the pediatric ICU (PICU) is nine. A majority of the pediatric patients Wednesday were very young — several no more than a few months of age — experiencing respiratory symptoms.

While test positivity rates suggest Influenza A may have peaked in our province, RSV-related illness continues to surge. Twenty-eight pediatric patients were admitted to hospital for the week ending Jan. 6, including two to intensive care. All were infants and young toddlers.

The monthly number of RSV-related hospitalizations continues to climb. Twenty-three pediatric patients were hospitalized in October, 78 in November and 119 in December. Eighteen pediatric patients were admitted to HSC Children’s in the first six days of January.

Of the 115 patients visiting the ED Tuesday, 43 were experiencing flu or flu-like symptoms. An average of 14 patients per day have been admitted to hospital so far in January and patient volumes at HSC Children’s emergency are averaging 124.3 per day so far in January, down from the December average of 130.1 and the 170.3 average in November.

As of Tuesday, 19 postponed surgeries had occurred since operational changes were enacted in mid-December to support PICU patients. Two pediatric elective procedures were postponed in the past week. Additionally, eight to 10 elective cases that would normally go ahead were not formally scheduled.