{"id":802,"date":"2022-03-24T13:58:19","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T16:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pequenoprincipe.org.br\/newsano6\/en\/?p=802"},"modified":"2022-03-30T13:55:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T16:55:11","slug":"learnings-brought-by-the-covid-19-pandemic-help-to-reduce-mortality-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pequenoprincipe.org.br\/newsano6\/en\/2\/learnings-brought-by-the-covid-19-pandemic-help-to-reduce-mortality-rate\/","title":{"rendered":"Learnings brought by the COVID-19 pandemic help to reduce mortality rate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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April 4th<\/sup> will mark two years since Pequeno Pr\u00edncipe Hospital confirmed the first positive case of COVID-19. Until March 10, 2022, in 23 months of pandemic, there were 2,800 confirmed cases, 500 hospitalizations, 126 patients who needed ICU and 16 deaths.

According to the assistant technical director of the Pequeno Pr\u00edncipe, Victor Hor\u00e1cio de Souza Costa Junior, who is the person in charge of the care of patients with COVID-19, this pandemic brought many important learnings related to patient\u2019s care and we can see the reflections of it in our daily performance data. \u201cThe mortality rate dropped significantly. In 2020, the rate was 1.6%. In 2021, it dropped to 0.8%, and in this third year, which started with an explosion of cases, our mortality is 0.1%. It shows that, as seen in the rest of the world, we learnt a lot about this disease and these learnings are reflecting in our performance, with better practices and better results,\u201d highlights.

Among the changes seen in direct care, we can highlight the substitution of some drugs. \u201cIn the beginning, we thought the use of immunoglobulins was helpful in the treatments, but along the way we realized it didn\u2019t bring any significant improvement of the patient\u2019s condition. On the other hand, we started using tocilizumab, a modern anti-inflammatory drug, and we noticed a good improvement in the patients. This drug has been incorporated into our protocol of care for critically ill patients,\u201d explains the physician.

Another learning was regarding myocarditis. A high number of the patients who presented a severe COVID-19 condition developed the disease, that is why the Hospital formalized an outpatient facility to assist the children with cardiac sequelae. The new structure served around 300 children who are being followed by the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nurse Fl\u00e1via Marafigo Vecina, coordinator of the crytical units of Pequeno Pr\u00edncipe Hospital points out some other important learnings brought by the sanitary crisis. \u201cThe first great learning was the intensive use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We already used them, but the pandemic reinforced the need and the importance of the constant use. Another milestone was to being able to get closer to the families. We could bring the family inside the COVID-19 ICU in a moment when the recommendation was to isolate even the children. This is a gesture of humanization that has the power to calm down the children and the family, preserving the well-being of all the parties involved and helping the recovery process,\u201d she says.

Regarding patient\u2019s care, Fl\u00e1via recalls that another important learning was the use of the full-face masks in patients who needed noninvasive ventilation. The equipment provides respiratory support to children preventing, in most cases, the need of intubation. \u201cMaking use of the masks reduces the risk of trachea injury and pulmonary sequelae, thus contributing to bring more comfort and reducing the trauma that an intubation can cause,\u201d explains the nursing assistant director, Junia Selma de Freitas. \u201cAnother benefit is the reduction in the need for sedation, all without compromising the patient\u2019s ventilation,\u201d she adds. 

The masks needed to be imported, because, in Brazil, there were no availability of the equipment adapted for the children\u2019s use. Initially used exclusively in patients with COVID-19, today the masks are also helping patients from other services of the Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS)<\/strong>
One of the severe conditions faced by the children contaminated with the coronavirus is the Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS). \u201cThis is an extremely lethal syndrome, because it affects several body systems, with respiratory, cardiac, neurological, renal, gastrointestinal, and hematological manifestations, hypotension, cardiac shock and even skin problems,\u201d details the physician Costa Junior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In these two years of pandemic at Pequeno Pr\u00edncipe, we assisted 23 patients with PMIS. In average, these patients needed 31.6 days of hospitalization, of which eight were in ICU. Three patients died because of complications brought by the syndrome. Interesting to note that only six out of 23 patients with the Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome had comorbidities. \u201cIt means that this is being the most severe condition caused by the virus and it also affects healthy children,\u201d highlights the doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaccines save lives<\/strong>
After almost two years of pandemic, Pequeno Pr\u00edncipe specialists are unanimous to affirm that the greatest learnings until now is the power the vaccines have while protecting lives. \u201cThere is no vaccine for diseases that are not lethal. Families must realize the importance of taking their children to get the twos shots of the vaccines, trusting in science and in what pediatricians recommend,\u201d Costa Junior says.

\u201cIf you take a look at the adult population, whose vaccination is more advanced in Brazil, we can see that the new wave caused by the omicron variant increased the number of positive cases, but it didn\u2019t reflect in numbers of deaths. This protection reached by the adults must also be offered to our boys and girls,\u201d concludes the physician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click below and check how were these first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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