Positive! Union Hospital experts said that if you have elderly people at home, you should seek medical attention immediately if you encounter these 8 situations...

A 76-year-old man was infected with the new coronavirus and sent to the hospital directly to the ICU

Wang Yue's aunt, who is from Sichuan, is 76 years old and suffers from high blood pressure. At the end of October this year, Wang Yue's aunt accidentally fell down the stairs and broke her bones. She underwent surgery. After being discharged from the hospital, she was weak and was recuperating at her son's home.

On December 7, Aunt Wang Yue moved out of her son's house and returned to her own home. On December 8, Aunt Wang Yue's daughter-in-law showed symptoms and was subsequently diagnosed. Soon after, Aunt Wang Yue's son was also infected. On December 11, Aunt Wang Yue developed symptoms of difficulty breathing and swallowing at home, and then the antigen test showed two bars, positive. After that, the disease progressed rapidly. "After being sent to the hospital, the doctor took a look and sent her directly to the ICU for rescue. At that time, Aunt Wang Yue was unconscious and in respiratory failure. The doctor said that her lungs were completely white and she needed to have a tracheotomy and a ventilator immediately." Wang Yue said. After a few days of treatment in the ICU, Aunt Wang Yue's condition did not improve. Although the doctor tried her best to rescue her, she still could not prevent multiple organ failure. On December 17, Aunt Wang Yue unfortunately passed away.

This tragedy reminds each of us to do everything we can to delay the infection of the elderly, minimize the number of elderly people infected during the first wave of the epidemic, and reduce the occurrence of similar tragedies.

What should the elderly pay attention to in preventing and treating COVID-19?

"Old people react more slowly to the virus, so their families should closely monitor their health. For elderly people with chronic diseases, if possible, give them a pulse oximeter." Li Minghui, director of the infectious diseases department of Shaoxing People's Hospital, said that in the coming period, the elderly, especially those with underlying diseases, should try to reduce going out, and it is best to wear a mask when meeting with family members. She emphasized that in addition to increasing nutrition and reducing the chance of infection, the elderly can exercise properly at home. "Old people, especially those with underlying diseases or those who have not been vaccinated against the new coronavirus, will be in danger if they have a high fever for three consecutive days, rapid breathing, or low blood oxygen saturation. It is recommended to seek medical attention in time and evaluate hospitalization." Li Minghui said.

The criteria for judging the worsening of the disease include three

Gu Xinyu, an anesthesiologist at Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, told reporters, "If family members find that the condition of an elderly person with underlying diseases is deteriorating, they should be sent to the hospital as soon as possible." Gu Xinyu called for it. In his opinion, there are three criteria for judging the deterioration of the condition: respiratory rate exceeding 30 times per minute, blood oxygen saturation below 93%, and fever for more than 3 days . If an elderly person with underlying diseases meets these criteria, it is recommended that the family members send him to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible. He also suggested that families with elderly people buy a fingertip oximeter to monitor the blood oxygen saturation of the elderly infected with the new coronavirus.

"Should I go to the emergency room if I'm infected with COVID-19?" has become a problem that has troubled many people recently. Facing an overcrowded emergency room, if you don't go, you may delay your condition; if you go, not only will you have to wait in line for a long time, but there is also the risk of cross-infection. Let the experts from the emergency department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital show you when the elderly need to go to the emergency room, and save it quickly -

Notice! New coronavirus infection symptoms in the elderly are atypical

The mortality rate from severe COVID-19 infection among the elderly is much higher than that among young people.

Many elderly people have very subtle and atypical symptoms of COVID-19 infection. For example, they may develop pneumonia after infection, but without coughing or fever. They may only show changes in consciousness, fatigue, and lethargy, which is now commonly referred to as "silent hypoxia." Elderly people may also develop secondary bacterial infections after being infected with the COVID-19 virus. If they are not properly cared for, and blindly given excessive water intake after a fever, heart failure may be induced. Therefore, elderly people should be more careful in their care after becoming ill.

It is recommended that elderly people seek medical attention as soon as possible if the following conditions occur:

1. Body temperature rises to ≥38.5℃ for more than 3 days.

2. Compared with before the onset of the disease, eating becomes worse, urine volume is significantly reduced, or new fecal incontinence occurs multiple times.

3. The reaction/mental state is obviously slower than before, with drowsiness, communication difficulties, inability to recognize people, and not knowing where you are. Things that you could do before can no longer be completed (such as walking and chatting).

4. New onset of breath-holding and breathing difficulties, and inability to lie flat.

5. The cough or wheezing worsens, and the lips may even turn white or purple.

6. People around heard obvious phlegm sounds in the old man’s throat, which was difficult to cough out.

7. The oxygen saturation was normal at ordinary times, but the self-measured oxygen saturation after the onset of this illness was ≤93%.

8. If the elderly also have underlying diseases such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, etc., they should not drink too much water or force themselves to eat at home. If the symptoms of the underlying disease worsen, they should seek medical attention in a timely manner.

Advice for children

1. The new Internet medical treatment model vigorously promoted during the epidemic has greatly facilitated the majority of patients, but the elderly, who are the main group of medical treatment, find it difficult to adapt to this new thing, which requires their children to "help out". At present, Shanghai Internet Hospital has realized the function of "prescribing medicine for family members".

2. Elderly people with chronic diseases should still take medication for their underlying diseases as usual during their illness. Do not arbitrarily add or subtract medications for the underlying diseases because of COVID-19 infection. During treatment, the types of medications used should be controlled, and attention should be paid to drug interactions. For medication precautions for common chronic diseases, please refer to the upper part of the article: Advice for the Elderly. If the drug interactions are unclear, consult a pharmacist.

3. Take the initiative to monitor the health of the elderly and family members. Equip yourself with home blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters and other equipment to monitor body temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate and other indicators every day. Elderly people with respiratory diseases can bring their own finger-clip oximeters to monitor blood oxygen saturation. If the oxygen saturation is lower than 93% or is significantly lower than usual, you should pay attention and seek medical attention in time.

4. Prevent atypical symptoms caused by multiple medications and disease progression.

⑴ The elderly have reduced stability. When they have a fever or are weak, they need someone to help them walk to prevent falling. Elderly people who sweat a lot after taking antipyretics, and who have collapsed or even have low blood pressure, should also be alert to falling. Prevent fractures after falls.

⑵ Some elderly people worry about their body's lack of resistance and become so nervous that they suffer from insomnia. Or if they are sleepy or in a bad mental state due to illness, their children should pay attention to it. Sufficient sleep and an optimistic attitude are the keys to a quick recovery. When the elderly are nervous and anxious, their children should accompany them more and comfort them. If necessary, they can take a small amount of sleeping pills to adjust their sleep. When the elderly are sleepy or in a bad mental state, their children should observe whether they have symptoms of confusion. If they cannot handle it themselves, they should be sent to the doctor in time.

⑶After being infected with the virus, the human immune system quickly starts to "fight" the virus, and the blood supply to the digestive tract is reduced, which can easily lead to loss of appetite and indigestion. It is very important to ensure the nutritional supply for the elderly, especially those with low body weight. If the elderly have a poor appetite and cannot eat meat, eggs, etc., they can make protein powder to supplement energy, and can also supplement micronutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin D in appropriate amounts.

5. During home treatment, care should be taken to closely monitor changes in the health of the elderly. If symptoms persist or worsen, or new symptoms appear, such as chest pain, dyspnea, incontinence, unexplained fatigue, or sudden inability to move limbs, including uncontrolled worsening of underlying diseases, medical attention should be sought promptly to avoid delays in treatment.

(Source: New Evening News People's Daily Weibo)