As the cold sets in, several hospital pediatric wards are saturated in Belgium, facing an “unprecedented” bronchiolitis epidemic, as is also the case in France. The situation is particularly tense in Brussels since no more beds were available on Tuesday in three major hospitals in the capital, namely at the Saint-Luc university clinics, at the CHU Saint-Pierre and at the UZ Brussel.
At Saint-Pierre hospital in central Brussels, the last six beds available received six sick children on Monday. “Pediatric emergencies are completely saturated under the bronchiolitis effect“, said Nathalie Schaar, communication officer at CHU Saint-Pierre.
Same observation at UZ Brussel, which speaks of “Prime time“for respiratory infections of the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) type while the 52 pediatric beds of the establishment are occupied.This is the classic cycle: as winter approaches, there is an increase in respiratory diseases“, tempers Maud Rouille, spokesperson for the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital.
But Stéphane Moniotte, head of the pediatrics department at Saint-Luc University Clinics, also a member of the Belgian Academy of Pediatrics, is more alarmist. “This is an unprecedented bronchiolitis epidemic. The number of patients with RSV is higher than in other years“, he observes, questioned by the Belga agency. “These patients are oxygen-dependent, which means that emergency rooms are quickly overwhelmed“, he adds, pointing out that the 135 pediatric beds in Saint-Luc are always full.
“We are really in trouble”
The situation is all the more critical as the teams of nurses and nurses specializing in pediatrics are weakened by the shortage of nursing staff, which affects the entire health sector. “We are really in trouble. Young patients under two years of age in respiratory distress arrive in the waiting rooms by the dozens and it is difficult to find space for these children, who sometimes remain in temporary hospitalization before being transferred to hospitalization proper. talk“, illustrates Mr. Moniotte.
This crisis situation is reminiscent of that experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic even if it is happening on a different scale since it only affects part of the population. “We are facing the same problems as during the Covid: the shortage of nurses has not been resolved, there is still a lack of hospital places and the number of patients is high.“, analyzes the head of the pediatric department at Saint-Luc. “We see ourselves obliged to transfer patients and deal with the most urgent“, he regrets.
The situation is complicated elsewhere as well.
The pediatric hospital of Jolimont, in the province of Hainaut, which is part of the same care network as Saint-Luc, is also saturated. The pediatric department of the Grand Hospital of Charleroi is also full, even if the pathologies vary and are not limited to cases of bronchiolitis. “The 39 pediatric beds, including those in the day hospital, are all occupied on Tuesday“, confirmed the carolo establishment.
In Liège, the situation is mixed with, on the one hand, the pediatric department of the CHU which “overflowing with cases of bronchiolitis for two weeks“, and on the other, the CHC MontLégial where the occupancy rate of pediatric beds reached 36% (29 beds out of the 80 available on Tuesday). “But the bronchiolitis season usually extends until February. The situation can change very quickly.“, punctuates Catherine Marissiaux, the communication manager of the CHC.
Bronchiolitis is an acute viral infection of the lower respiratory tract that affects young children and causes coughing and labored breathing. In France, an epidemic of bronchiolitis, which has been raging for several weeks, is straining the pediatric emergency department.