If the measles is severe, the child must be taken to the hospital immediately, even at night.

Vaccinating children - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

What should you keep in mind when a child has measles?

Note the signs of worsening measles symptoms.

Dr. Du Tan Quy, head of the infectious diseases and neurology department (Children's Hospital 1), said that on August 21, there were 38 children with measles being treated in the department. The number of children hospitalized with measles has been increasing for over a month, but has surged dramatically in the last two weeks.

According to Doctor Quy, many young mothers, especially those born in the 1990s, are unfamiliar with measles because they have never seen a measles patient. Therefore, a few mothers take their children to the doctor immediately when they have a fever and rash, while many others only seek medical attention when their children develop complications such as pneumonia.

In addition, there are also mothers whose children have mild measles and are treated at home. However, when the children show signs of worsening symptoms, these mothers do not take them to the hospital for examination immediately.

These mothers assumed that the hospital didn't do check-ups at night, or that the child was probably fine, and decided to wait until the next morning to take the child for a check-up.

However, according to Dr. Quy, if children with measles show signs of worsening symptoms and are not taken to a medical facility for treatment immediately, the disease will become more severe, potentially leading to complications, or further complications will arise from existing complications.

Therefore, Dr. Quy emphasized that even in the middle of the night, if a child with measles shows signs of worsening condition, they need to be taken to the hospital immediately for timely treatment.

Signs of worsening condition to watch out for include persistent high fever, febrile seizures, frequent vomiting, inability to eat or drink, lethargy, and inability to wake up.

Maintain hygiene to avoid spreading the infection to those around you.

Currently, many children in the community have contracted measles. Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease, one of the fastest-spreading diseases today.

One child with measles can infect 12-18 other children. Therefore, when a child has measles, the family should isolate the child to prevent spreading the disease to others.

Parents should isolate their children for 5 days starting from the day the rash appears. During this time, children should not be allowed to go outside to avoid spreading the illness to others.

If the child's condition worsens, call an ambulance or taxi and take the child directly to the hospital's emergency department.

Dr. Quy also pointed out a reality: many mothers have forgotten to take their children for measles vaccination. When the doctor asked the mothers why they hadn't taken their children for the measles vaccine, the mothers gave various reasons.

Some mothers shared that due to financial difficulties, they had to focus on work, leaving their children in the care of their grandparents and forgetting to vaccinate them. Others worried about the side effects of vaccines...

Doctors believe that given the increasing number of measles cases and the current complex situation, vaccinating children is the most effective measure to prevent measles.

Adults also need to get vaccinated against measles - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Ho Chi Minh City launches measles vaccination campaign.

Ho Chi Minh City is implementing solutions to boost community immunity, such as a measles vaccination campaign for children aged 1-5 years regardless of their vaccination history, scheduled to begin on August 24th.

Patient triage should be implemented immediately upon admission.

On August 21st, Children's Hospital 2 had 9 measles patients under treatment, including a 12-month-old child with severe measles requiring mechanical ventilation who had never received a single dose of the measles vaccine.

Given the complex situation of measles outbreaks in Ho Chi Minh City, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management recently requested the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health to urgently implement measles prevention and control measures to ensure safety and minimize measles transmission in healthcare facilities.

Dr. Pham Ngoc Thanh, deputy director of Children's Hospital 2, said that Children's Hospital 2 has implemented a triage system for suspected measles patients right from the admission area to prevent the disease from spreading to other children.

As for children diagnosed with measles, they will be transferred to an isolation room in the infectious disease ward or the infectious disease intensive care unit.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/benh-soi-nang-dem-cung-phai-dua-tre-den-vien-ngay-20240821232701321.htm