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Departments of Pediatrics Approach at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Beatriz Simões Vala1,2, Mariana Lopes Costa1,2, Joana Aquino1,2
1Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar de Leiria, Leiria, Portugal.
Insights
Pediatric departments implemented varied COVID-19 safety measures, including dedicated emergency areas and healthcare worker teams. Personal protective equipment was generally adequate, with some overuse noted.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for pediatric healthcare, as initial guidelines were not tailored for children.
- Adapting pediatric services required specific strategies to manage the novel coronavirus while protecting vulnerable populations and healthcare workers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the initial adaptations of national pediatric departments in Portugal to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To describe the specific measures implemented to safeguard healthcare workers during the early stages of the pandemic.
Main Methods:
- An unvalidated online questionnaire was distributed to directors of pediatric departments in Portuguese public hospitals.
- Data collection focused on actions taken between April and May 2020, excluding neonatology units.
Main Results:
- All surveyed departments established separate COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 areas within pediatric emergency units.
- Over 70% of departments divided healthcare workers into dedicated COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 teams.
- Personal protective equipment, including face shields and respirators, was widely utilized, with reported adequacy and occasional overuse.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric departments exhibited diverse approaches to pandemic management, particularly in non-emergency settings.
- Emergency department adaptations, such as spatial segregation and team division, showed greater uniformity.
- Personal protective equipment usage aligned with guidelines, indicating preparedness in safeguarding healthcare staff.
Introduction:
The novel coronavirus pandemic poses a challenge to healthcare systems' balance. Since children apparently have milder disease courses, COVID-19 guidelines were not easily adapted to pediatrics. We intend to characterize how the national departments of pediatrics adapted to the pandemic at the beginning and describe the measures that were taken to protect healthcare workers.
Methods:
An unvalidated online questionnaire was sent to all departments of pediatrics directors of Portuguese public health system hospitals regarding course of actions taken between April and May 2020 to face the new coronavirus pandemic. Neonatology units were excluded.
Results:
Thirty-eight questionnaires were included (93% of public health system departments). All departments divided the pediatric emergency unit into non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 areas: 68% in different areas, 47% divided the same space with a physical barrier and 16% with a line on the floor. Healthcare workers were divided into non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 teams in 71% of the departments. Personal protective equipment mostly used in COVID-19 areas consisted of face shield/goggles (97%) and respirators (95%). Others wore surgical masks (8%). The main clinical criteria for testing were Direção-Geral da Saúde criteria (84%). Presential appointments were maintained in 68% of departments with selected follow-up (81%) and priority-first appointments (73%).
Discussion:
National departments of pediatrics faced the pandemic differently and measures taken in the emergency department were more similar. Personal protective equipment was adequate in all wards with occasional overuse, considering national and international guidelines.
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