{"id":26909,"date":"2021-07-08T14:57:21","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T12:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/?p=26909"},"modified":"2021-07-08T15:01:38","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T13:01:38","slug":"covid-patient-care-at-three-organizational-units-of-semmelweis-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/2021\/07\/covid-patient-care-at-three-organizational-units-of-semmelweis-university\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID patient care at three organizational units of Semmelweis University"},"content":{"rendered":"

Semmelweis University has participated in the care of coronavirus patients since the onset of the epidemic. Almost 6,000 COVID-19 patients have been treated at the departments of the university since the beginning of the first wave. As part of our series introducing organizational units involved in COVID patient care, the directors of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as the Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders will talk about their experiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe epidemiological situation contributed to the broadening of horizons of our specialists and residents, they had the opportunity to be enriched with plenty of useful experiences\u201d<\/h2>\n
Dr. <\/span>L\u00e1szl\u00f3 <\/span>Tam\u00e1s, <\/span>Director<\/span>, <\/span>Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery<\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"The <\/span>Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery played an important <\/span>role<\/span> in COVID patient care at the university, with different responsibilities carried out at the different epidemic waves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have moved our clinical units to one half of the Department of Orthopedics so that their hospital beds may provide the background for the emergency department. In terms of COVID-19, we basically operated as a diagnostic and training center for PCR testing. In the first months, we were responsible for the testing of the staff members and the patients in the departments of the Outer Clinical Block. Meanwhile, we also trained the staff members appointed by the departments on the techniques of proper screening\u201d, said Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s, Professor, Director of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.<\/p>\n

He also pointed out the introduction of a new compulsory course for the 4<\/span>th<\/span> year, 5<\/span>th<\/span> year and 6<\/span>th<\/span> year students of the Faculty of Medicine entitled \u201c<\/span>The comprehensive theory of coronavirus and the practice of how to test samples taken from the respiratory tract\u201d. <\/span>Specialists<\/span> from the Institute of Medical Microbiology, the Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Department of Radiology, the Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, the Department of Hospital Hygiene and the <\/span>Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery <\/span>all participated in the teaching of this subject.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the second wave, my <\/span>colleagues provided support in the <\/span>fight <\/span>against the<\/span> coronavirus at the university\u2019s larger COVID <\/span>care <\/span>facilities. <\/span>In the meantime,<\/span> our department <\/span>hand<\/span>ed<\/span> over the second <\/span>floor<\/span> to the Department of Neurology, wh<\/span>ere those <\/span>neurological patients <\/span>were treated who were not infected by COVID-19<\/span>\u201d, <\/span>highlighted Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the third wave, because of the <\/span>increasing<\/span> case numbers, the entire building of the <\/span>Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery<\/span> became a COVID <\/span>patient care <\/span>provider. Three COVID <\/span>units<\/span>, gray and red zones, as well as <\/span>hospital monitoring <\/span>rooms <\/span>equipped with cameras<\/span> and rooms <\/span>suitable for <\/span>getting medicine ready<\/span> have been established. <\/span>Starting from 5 March, 2021, exclusively COVID-19 patients were treated at the department with a capacity of 56 hospital beds. Their own, non-infected patients were being taken care of in the green zone at the 1<\/span>st<\/span> Department of Surgery and Interventional Gastroenterology with a capacity of 16 hospital beds.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPiped oxygen supply was installed only in a few places at the department. Because of the outbreak of the epidemic, the planned further installation was delayed. In the absence of a piped medical gas system, we could only solve the oxygen supply of our coronavirus patients with portable oxygen cylinders. This is one of the reasons why the Department of <\/span>Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery<\/span> became a COVID care provider only in the course of the third epidemic wave\u201d, the Director explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, it was also difficult to reorganize the work of the nurses and <\/span>physicians<\/span>: they started working in shifts instead of on-call systems. <\/span>Working in shifts have been typical <\/span>so far <\/span>only in the case of<\/span> nurses, but during the third wave, both <\/span>the staff members of the <\/span>operating room and <\/span>the<\/span> physicians worked in this system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s also emphasized the professional support that their department received from both the Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology as well as from the Heart and Vascular Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has not been an easy task for us, otorhinolaryngologists, to treat coronavirus patients suffering from illnesses related to general internal medicine or severe cardiac diseases. <\/span>At our department, we primarily treat patients with head and neck <\/span>tumors<\/span>, severe ear dis<\/span>orders<\/span>,<\/span> suffocation <\/span>and related problems<\/span>, <\/span>diseases of the <\/span>nasal <\/span>cavity <\/span>and paranasal <\/span>sinuses<\/span>, and thyroid <\/span>disorders<\/span>, therefore the help provided by internists, cardiologists and residents was a huge support. The work <\/span>carried out by<\/span> nursing staff <\/span>transferred <\/span>from other <\/span>departments<\/span> and the work of volunteer helpers, medic<\/span>al students<\/span>, and soldiers was also an important support for <\/span>us<\/span>. In addition to <\/span>being a<\/span> COVID <\/span>care provider<\/span>, our <\/span>screening center<\/span> also continued to operate. With the increase <\/span>of<\/span> the number of <\/span>COVID-19 cases<\/span>, we received help <\/span>from<\/span> the <\/span>2<\/span>nd<\/span> Department <\/span>of Pathology to per<\/span>form PCR testing<\/span>, <\/span>therefore<\/span> our colleagues working there could <\/span>return to<\/span> the <\/span>work at <\/span>COVID <\/span>patient care\u201d, recalled Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the number of infections decreased, COVID patient care was discontinued at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in May. Regarding the experiences of the pandemic period, the director highlighted the attitude of staff members, as well as the amount of experience they gained in treating coronavirus patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe epidemiological situation contributed to the broadening of horizons of our specialists and residents. The fact that they had the opportunity to treat COVID-19 patients by working together with internists and cardiologists helped them to be enriched with plenty of useful experiences\u201d, emphasized Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s.<\/p>\n

\u201cObstetric care cannot be discontinued even in an epidemiological situation\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n
Dr. <\/span>N\u00e1ndor <\/span>\u00c1cs, <\/span>Director, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology<\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"\u201cOur department already treated<\/span> expectant<\/span> mothers <\/span>who were infected with COVID-19<\/span> last spring, <\/span>therefore <\/span>we have been involved in <\/span>COVID patient<\/span> care since the outbreak <\/span>of the epidemic<\/span> in Hungary\u201d, <\/span>said Dr. N\u00e1ndor \u00c1cs.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, there were infected patients on a weekly basis during the first wave, but they did not have severe symptoms typical of COVID-19 requiring special care. However, the department had to deal with the care of those expectant mothers or gynecology patients whose PCR test turned out to be COVID-19 positive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe separated wards and two operating rooms for them, as well as created a dressing area for colleagues entering the red zone. We also organized trainings and made a tutorial video\u201d, recalled Dr. N\u00e1ndor \u00c1cs.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the director, due to the increasing number of COVID cases in the third wave of spring 2021, they had to reorganize work at the department to an even greater extent. The department\u2019s building located on Baross street functioned as a COVID-free green zone, while an entire floor in the building located on \u00dcll\u0151i street was converted into a red-zone COVID unit.<\/span><\/p>\n

“While the number of expectant mothers with severe coronavirus symptoms was relatively low in the first two waves, yet the third wave brought a change in this respect as well. There was a significant increase in the number of expectant mothers who became seriously ill because of the infection: at the peak of the epidemic, 27 pregnant women in need of oxygen supply were treated at the department at the same time\u201d, said the Director.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to expectant mothers, a small number of newborns infected with coronavirus were also treated at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, but none of them had serious problems.<\/span> According to Dr. N\u00e1ndor \u00c1cs, the largest challenge for their department was the reorganization of patient care.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are the largest obstetric institution in Hungary with a very high number of births. In addition, obstetric care cannot be discontinued even in an epidemiological situation\u201d, the Director pointed out.<\/span><\/p>\n

He added that at the domestic level, most expectant mothers infected with COVID-19 were cared for at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Semmelweis University, who were admitted by the department not only from the university\u2019s intensive care units, but from various parts of the country as well. According to Dr. N\u00e1ndor \u00c1cs, professors and associate professors have also returned to take care of the increased workload, but there has also been a heavy burden on nurses, midwives and the entire staff.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA midwife of the red zone dressed up in protective clothing may not know when she can leave the zone, because it is usually unknown whether an expectant mother will give birth to her child in one hour or in six hours. In addition, at our department some surgeries not only involve obstetricians and midwives, but also anesthesiologists, pediatricians and additional staff members. That is why I am extremely grateful to my colleagues for working so hard and being so dedicated even in this challenging epidemic situation\u201d, pointed out Dr. N\u00e1ndor \u00c1cs, who also highlighted the importance of vaccination.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone reacted to the unforeseen situations in a different way, but we were able to strengthen each other and to cooperate in a team\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n
Dr. M\u00e1ria Judit Moln\u00e1r, <\/span>Institute Head, Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders<\/span><\/h5>\n

\"\"\u201cStaff members of the Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders have been involved in the fight against the coronavirus for the past year, initially working at various university departments and external care facilities such as the Kor\u00e1nyi National Institute of Pulmonology, as well as assisting with screening and vaccination. And in the third wave of 2021, our institute also became an active COVID care provider unit\u201d, highlighted Dr. M\u00e1ria Judit Moln\u00e1r, Professor, Head of the Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders.<\/span><\/p>\n

She also added that their institute treated approximately 60 patients infected with coronavirus with a capacity of 12 hospital beds in the course of two months.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a small organizational unit with few nurses, therefore a reorganization was needed within the institute, but in the end we managed to overcome the difficulties\u201d, said Dr. M\u00e1ria Judit Moln\u00e1r.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur lab<\/span>oratory<\/span> assistants <\/span>worked as<\/span> auxiliary nurses, but we also received <\/span>external <\/span>help: not only nurses or <\/span>staff of the operating room<\/span> from other <\/span>departments support<\/span>ed <\/span>us<\/span>, but in case of professional questions we could <\/span>always <\/span>turn to the specialists of the <\/span>Department of <\/span>Pulmonology or <\/span>the departments of <\/span>internal medicine at any time, who <\/span>continuously held <\/span>consultations for us. <\/span>The situation resulted in the fact that an extremely close relationship was built between our institute and the Emergency Department, the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy as well as the University Pharmacy and the Department of Pharmacy Administration. Thanks to the Clinical Center, the patient care hierarchy functioned very well, and everybody knew what to do and what his\/her responsibilities were. In such an extreme situation it is especially important, since it provides safety\u201d, pointed out the Head of the institute.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Dr. Judit M\u00e1ria Moln\u00e1r, all the staff members of the institute were able to adapt to the new tasks: those who mainly deal with diagnostics and analyze DNA or blood are now performing nursing tasks. She also added that <\/span>in certain cases, if it was needed, professors and physicians also carried out such tasks. Furthermore, as she pointed out, this provided an opportunity to learn even more about the importance of empathy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany people think that for us, as experts in rare disorders, treating coronavirus patients who require a care predominantly focusing on internal medicine and pulmonology, is less suitable. However, I think that in order to treat rare disorders well, a holistic approach is needed: the entire person must be looked at by considering all his\/her diseases. This is also true for COVID patient care\u201d, she explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. M\u00e1ria Judit Moln\u00e1r highlighted the importance of resilience primarily from the experience of recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone reacted to the unforeseen situations in a different way, but we were able to strengthen each other and to cooperate in a team. When we were given a task, our aim was to try to solve it because it could save lives. A kind of collective resilience was being developed\u201d, she recalled.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to being involved in COVID patient care, their institute had to provide care for their own patients as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe took a large step towards telemedicine: we taught our patients how to use Skype or Zoom, or how to virtually forward the right documents to us so we could stay in touch online. In the case of those in need of inpatient care, we cooperated with hospitals outside of Budapest\u201d, Dr. M\u00e1ria Judit Moln\u00e1r said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The institute is constantly trying to help with vaccination: they have informed their own patients suffering from rare diseases about which vaccines are recommended for them, and the institute has also regularly shared profession-specific news with their patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c1d\u00e1m Szab\u00f3
\nPhoto: Attila Kov\u00e1cs \u2013 Semmelweis University
\nTranslation: Katalin Ill\u00e9s-Romh\u00e1nyi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101126,"featured_media":26906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,2],"tags":[127,196,157],"class_list":["post-26909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-news","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-patient-care","tag-covid-19"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101126"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26909"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26913,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26909\/revisions\/26913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}