Pediatric ICU overflowing on Oahu due to respiratory virus

By Jeremy Lee

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — Gavin Silva arrived at Kapiolani Medical Center to find a line ahead of him at the ER. Several others were waiting for hours so their children, experiencing similar symptoms, could be seen.

“My kids are coughing. And they have runny nose. And, you know, it sounded out of the normal so we just had to make sure they were safe and just checked on,” Gavin Silva told KITV.

But COVID hasn’t been the main worry. Hilton Raethel of Healthcare Association of Hawaii says serious cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus

(or RSV) could require antibiotics to be administered by IV, or oxygen if the airway is constricted.

“What we’re most concerned about is keeping children hydrated. If their airways are blocked. If they’re experiencing respiratory distress, then they may have trouble eating or drinking, so they’re not getting enough fluids,” Raethel said.

For Gavin Silva and his family, news of a recent tragic case had him concerned.

“Our good, good friends they just lost their child to RSV, which even more so made me want to come in and make sure our kids are safe,” Silva said.

“It is very unusual for these cases to be fatal, but unfortunately it does happen. Just like every year typically we would have some adults and children die from the flu or pneumonia,” Hilton Raethel told KITV.

In addition COVID, RSV is another virus now taxing Hawaii’s health care system.

“When it comes to pediatric intensive care, most of that is done at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. They have a 14 bed pediatric intensive ICU, and right now that unit is completely full and actually overflowing,” Raethel said.

“Our capacity or ability is being stretched right now. It has been that way a number of weeks and what we’re most concerned about is this is early in the season,” he concluded.

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