Crowded healthcare facilities can expose healthy patients to a variety of diseases

In this Thursday (6) edition of the Medical Correspondent chart, of the New Day, cardiologist Stephanie Rizk alerted the population and spoke about the right time to look for an emergency room, amid the flu outbreak and a new outbreak of Covid-19 cases across the country.

The doctor said that in recent days she had noticed a “progressive increase” in the demand for patients in hospitals. According to her, the waiting time in private units, which previously varied between 20 and 60 minutes, jumped to up to 6 hours – with an even worse situation in public units, driven by high demand.

The situation could expose patients to a range of diseases, especially during the pandemic. “When we go to see, it’s a young patient, without any disease, waits three hours with little symptoms to receive just an antipyretic or an analgesic. It doesn’t justify it”, he said.

For Rizk, waiting for tests such as the Covid-19 to be carried out is also another important point that deserves attention. “Sometimes he’s not even with Covid or Influenza and ends up exposing himself in an environment full of sick people, in a closed place.”

“Many people have lost family members, had serious Covid. We physicians are seeing a very high demand from many very worried patients wanting to go to the emergency room with mild symptoms. Now is the time to teach, guide and inform so they can be safe and understand the best time to go”, he concluded.

The cardiologist explained that the “right time” to seek assistance is linked to symptoms such as intense pain – especially in cases where a simple analgesic is not enough – high fever, allergic reactions, difficulty breathing, trauma and injuries.

Rizk warned that patients with severe pain seek the hospital as soon as possible. “New pains and especially heart pains. Sometimes, we prioritize respiratory syndromes, but the heart attack is there, other pneumonias are there, the stroke… If you have very intense pain, go to the emergency room.”

“If you have mild symptoms, if you have respiratory syndrome, it is best to stay at home. Many pharmacies and laboratories are doing tests, both for Covid-19 and for Influenza, so the ideal is to get informed”, he said.

The doctor also recommended that the Emergency Care Units (UPAs) be used for emergencies, while the health posts serve as testing points. Telemedicine also appears as a viable option to avoid going to the hospital.

The use of an oximeter to measure blood oxygenation remains appropriate, according to the doctor, as long as there is caution in the analysis. Rizk also advocated home care for symptoms such as fever, muscle pain and headache through medications regularly used in these cases. “Obviously, if you don’t show improvement, you have to go to the emergency room and look for a doctor,” he concluded.