KVOA

Posted: Sep 30, 2009 5:04 PM
Updated: Sep 30, 2009 8:06 PM

CORPUS CHRISTI - With more children expected to catch the H1N1 virus, city/county health officials met Wednesday with officials at Driscoll Children's Hospital to work out a plan to deal with a growing number of swine flu cases.

The meeting was planned well before the 12-year-old Flour Bluff girl died Sept. 29.

However, the tragic development helped push the urgency of a plan to deal with the growing number of children going to the ER with flu symptoms. It was during the summer when emergency room doctors at Driscoll Children's Hospital first noticed an increase in the number of kids visiting the ER.

Before summer, the average wait time in the ER was around two and a half hours and now it's about an eight to 10 hours wait.

"We have sometimes up to 300-350 children a week visiting the ER, so that gives you an idea," Driscoll Children's Hospital Dr. Jaime Fergie said.

Health department officials met with people at Driscoll Wednesday to find out how they could help.

Currently, the plan is to separate patients who are mildly ill from the one's who are seriously ill. It's a process called triage and it will ease the over-crowding issue in the ER.

The auditorium inside the hospital is currently being used for meetings and conferences, but it could soon be used as a triage for patients.

"It's a good place where we can triage people, so that's an alternative. The health dept can set up tents outside, but in this weather, in this condition, if we can do whatever we can inside the hospital, I think that would be a lot better for our patients," Fergie said.

Parents coming in with sick children would be directed to the auditorium, instead of the ER. From there, they'd be seen by a doctor and told where to go next depending on how sick they are.

"The plan is not finalized, but they're trying to accomplish the key points, like getting them to the right area of care and then get them home," County Health Department's Dr. William Burgin said.

Burgin also said another problem causing overcrowding at the hospital are parents who are being told by their pediatrician to go to the ER.

"We would request they not do that and open their offices and take care of their own patients because they are flooding the hospital and overwhelming everybody here," Burgin said.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but KRIS 6 News was told Driscoll Children's Hospital will likely start making use of the auditorium very soon.

In addition, the first cases of the disease were confirmed in Nueces County in late April. Health officials have confirmed five deaths locally as a result of the swine flu. In August, the health department stopped reporting the number of confirmed swine flu cases, but at that time, had well over 100 confirmed cases.

Swine flu immunizations are expected to begin in the county in mid October.

Also, the Flour Bluff Intermediate School PTA is accepting donations on behalf of the family.

For more information contact:

Daiquiri Richard, PTA President, 361-960-1475 or

Jennifer Cabral, PTA Vice-President, 361-765-7515.

Online Reporter: Melissa Schroeder