Experts draft treatment SOP as hospitals get more kids with viral pneumonia

Kolkata: An expert committee set up by the state health department has drafted an SOP on the diagnosis and treatment of children affected by viral pneumonia or similar symptoms, the number of which is escalating by the day. The draft will serve as a guideline for doctors in treating the affected kids.

Hospitals have also been told to mobilise equipment like high-flow nasal cannula and paediatric ventilators and to utilise the paediatric Covid facilities the state has already created for tackling the potential third wave so that the affected children get adequate medical attention.

“The expert group met today and deliberated on the recent spurt in fever and respiratory tract infection cases among children. We have discussed the diagnostic protocol, treatment procedure and the protocol for intensive care unit and oxygen therapy,” said health services director Ajay Chakraborty.

The expert panel also held a virtual meeting to explain the treatment protocol to all principals, CMOHs and hospital superintendents. The panel has doctors like Bibhuti Saha and Bhaswati Bandyopadhyay from School of Tropical Medicine, Mousumi Nandy and Mihir Sarkar from Medical College Hospital and BC Roy Memorial Hospital For Children principal Dilip Pal.

“Bibhuti Saha reminded that we should investigate and exclude malaria, dengue, Covid and scrub typhus , because not all patients are similar and not all are viral or influenza,” said the DHS.The health department will also increase lab testing capacity and procure kits to identify the different respiratory viruses that is causing the current outbreak.

“If the virus is identified as influenza, we can administer oseltamivir on children with acute respiratory distress for better treatment outcome,” said Medical College Hospital Kolkata PICU in charge Mihir Sarkar.