North Texas hospital treats hundreds of children with respiratory illnesses
FORT WORTH – Winter is approaching and respiratory illness cases are on the rise in North Texas, particularly among children.
Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth has reported a significant uptick in visits due to respiratory viruses. Doctors said over the last three days, they have treated over 1,100 children in the emergency room, marking a record high for the facility.
Symptoms observed in many patients include low-grade fevers, dry coughs, runny noses, congestion and stomach problems.
Experts attribute this surge to a spike in RSV and walking pneumonia. Dr. Dan Guzman of Cook Children's advises parents to be vigilant about their child's health during the surge.
"If your child has fever for more than five or six days, [or] they're having trouble breathing, in addition to vomiting and having diarrhea and they're not keeping any fluids down, and you think they're dehydrated, I think that's a more urgent matter," Guzman said. "At that point, you can present to one of our urgent cares [or visit the emergency room]."
More severe symptoms of RSV can include difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain, blue discoloration in the face or lips and fever lasting five days or longer.
Parents of infants should be especially cautious, and any fever in children under two months old should prompt a visit to the hospital.