Lexington’s hospitals are close to capacity. What to know if you need to seek care
Despite the strain several area hospitals are experiencing as cases of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus surge, their leaders said in a press conference Monday the public shouldn’t hesitate to seek care.
“We’re going to see you … Come on in if you’re having an emergency,” Dr. Mark Spanier, an emergency physician with Baptist Health Lexington, told media during a Monday morning news conference streamed online.
Thursday, multiple hospitals in Central Kentucky reported being at or near capacity given rising seasonal flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases. Allison Perry, a spokesperson for the University of Kentucky’s medical campus, said Chandler Hospital and Kentucky Children’s Hospital were either at or near capacity and they’d been operating that way for weeks.
Also Thursday, Baptist Health Richmond issued a public service announcement video that featured hospital staff asking for patience amid extended emergency room wait times.
During Monday’s news conference, physicians and representatives from Baptist Health Lexington, CHI Saint Joseph Health and UK HealthCare stressed their facilities are able to take on new patients, though they may experience longer ER wait times.
Dr. Dan Goulson, an anesthesiologist with more than 30 years experience and the chief medical officer for CHI Saint Joseph Health, spoke for the hospital system.
“In practicality, what people might notice is maybe some slight increase in wait times. That could either be in the emergency department or it could also be in a situation where a patient in a smaller hospital needs to be transferred, for whatever reason, to a larger hospital,” Dr. Goulson said.
Conditions in Central Kentucky’s hospitals have not yet reached a point where patients must be transferred to hospitals outside of Lexington, for example.
“We’re not getting to a point where we have to ship people to another city,” Dr. Spanier, with Baptist Health Lexington, told the Herald-Leader.
Goulson echoed that message.
“We really have not gotten to the point of having to take any extraordinary measures,” he noted.
Still, Spanier did not rule out the possibility of pulling patient beds into hallways or side rooms at Baptist Health Lexington “if we have to,” and that prospect has been the case at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
“We have opened up overflow units for pediatrics because we had so many RSV and flu patients,” Perry, with UK HealthCare, noted. “We’ve tried to create a little bit more capacity to make sure those patients are taken care of.”
What can the public do to alleviate stress on area hospitals?
First and foremost, hospital representatives on Monday’s call encouraged those who are unvaccinated or not caught up on their COVID-19 boosters to do so immediately. You can find a vaccine near you online.
Goulson noted that while a COVID-19 vaccine isn’t a silver bullet against getting the disease, it has been successful at cutting hospitalizations for severe cases. The same is true for the latest available vaccine booster, which research suggests could reduce your risk of hospital admission by half.
Because the flu, COVID-19 and RSV are all spread via respiratory droplets, it’s also a good idea to wear a mask to your family’s holiday gathering, Goulson added.
“If you’re sick, the best thing to do to help keep other people from getting sick is to either mask or to isolate or both … and if you’re not sick and need to protect yourself, the best thing to do is to mask and to maintain social distancing,” he added.
Spanier suggested purchasing a pulse oximeter from a local drug store if you don’t have one. Monitoring oxygen levels when you’re not feeling well can help you determine if you need to seek emergency treatment, Spanier said.
“If you’re getting down to 90 and below, you definitely need to be seen in an emergency department,” he added.
What to know about RSV in children
Dr. Gena Cooper, a specialist in emergency pediatric medicine at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, said parents should be especially mindful of RSV as it’s the “No. 1 reason for admission for children in the United States” currently.
Cooper calls RSV “the mucus monster” and said she often sees children who have trouble clearing it from their respiratory system. The doctor encouraged parents to look at suction devices – like the blue bulb syringe commonly used as infant nasal aspirators – if their children are dealing with congestion.
Cooper also encouraged parents to watch their child’s breathing if they have RSV. Fast breaths or breathing using additional muscles could be warning signs your child may need medical attention.
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This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 1:12 PM.