"Outbreaks of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Expected to Intensify"
A survey revealed that more than 9 out of 10 patients admitted to pediatric and adolescent hospitals this year were diagnosed with infectious diseases such as Mycoplasma pneumonia, COVID-19, and pertussis.
Choi Yong-jae, President of the Korean Pediatric and Adolescent Hospital Association (left), is speaking at a press conference held at 2 p.m. on the 16th at Dragon City Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Choi Tae-won
The Korean Association of Pediatric and Adolescent Hospitals (formerly the Korean Association of Children's Hospitals) held a press conference at 2 p.m. on the 16th at the Dragon City Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to announce the results of a hospitalization rate survey conducted on 52 pediatric and adolescent hospitals. The regional distribution of the participating hospitals was 20 in the Yeongnam region, 15 in the metropolitan area, 10 in the Honam region, and 7 in the Chungcheong region.
According to the survey, when asked about the ratio of pediatric infectious disease patients to general patients among those hospitalized from January this year to the present, 61.5% responded with "9 to 1." This was followed by "9.5 to 0.5" at 17.2%, "8 to 2" at 7.6%, and "9.8 to 0.2" at 5.7%. Ratios of "9.9 to 0.1," "10 to 0," "7 to 3," and "9.7 to 0.3" each accounted for 2%.
The most common pediatric infectious disease among hospitalized patients this year was Mycoplasma pneumonia, accounting for 19.9% of cases. Next were COVID-19 at 8.3%, adenovirus at 8.1%, other viral pneumonias at 6.8%, enteritis at 5.6%, pertussis and hand, foot, and mouth disease each at 5%, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at 4.8%, and pneumonia at 3.9%.
Additionally, the association reported that the most frequently requested items by the guardians of hospitalized patients were expanded coverage of actual room charges and an increase in the number of single rooms. Other demands included the provision of isolation rooms and improvements to the care environment in multi-bed rooms for pediatric patients.
The association forecasted that various pediatric infectious diseases would continue to spread for the foreseeable future following the COVID-19 pandemic. President Choi Yong-jae stated, "As the emergence and spread of pediatric infectious diseases are expected to intensify, continuous discussions between government authorities and pediatricians must be held to prepare separate responses and countermeasures."
He added, "The first step to increasing the birth rate is creating a healthy and nurturing environment for children," emphasizing, "We must create a pediatric medical environment conducive to raising children by reviewing and improving the pediatric infectious disease medical system so that guardians of patients can be freed from fear and burden."
Vice President Kang Eun-sik also said, "Frontline pediatric medical sites are facing a realistic situation where they cannot meet the demands of patient guardians," and "We earnestly hope that the government will listen to the voices from pediatric medical sites and actively undertake large-scale improvements to the inpatient environment of pediatric and adolescent hospitals through institutional and policy measures."
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