COVID19: treatment of childhood cancer can't stop

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, scientists and doctors have been dedicated to understand Covid-19 and reduce its damage. The evolution of knowledge about the new virus has already reduced the number of hospitalizations, complications and deaths.

But if there are still mysterious aspects about how the new disease manifests itself in the general population, there is less information on how it manifests itself in children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment. This has been an extra challenge for GRAACC Hospital professionals, who are in continuous learning to prevent and treat SarsCov-2 in their patients.

With the latest technology and a qualified team, the Therapy Unit GRAACC's Intensive Care Unit was able to use in some more serious cases interleukin receptor blocker, a medication that decreases the inflammation caused by Covid-19 in the body, reducing the effects possible destructive immune response. The hospital is also one of few that uses continuous hemodialysis equipment generation, important to facilitate the renal recovery of some functioning as a filter to eliminate toxins and other blood substances, including inflammatory meters used in treatment.

In case of respiratory symptoms, blood tests are performed with inflammatory markers and clotting factors. The analysis of these information helps us assess the severity of Covid-19 and immunosuppression on the patient. In some cases, we have already indicated hospitalization until this moment on.

When the exam is positive for the new coronavirus, the patient being treated at GRAACC is also immediately submitted to chest tomography: the look of an expert in analyzing tests of immunosuppressed children like the ones we have at the hospital makes all the difference, since the radiologist knows which changes require more attention in this type of patient and his technical report will be fundamental for us to know if there are pulmonary involvement and what is the best medication for that patient.

In GRAACC’s Hospital the learning with the pandemic are continuous: the treatment of cancer cannot stop.

The advancement of the coronavirus mobilized Brazil.

At GRAACC Hospital, the concern was even greater, considering that the small patients who arrive every day in search of treatment are immunosuppressed / immunosuppressed due to treatment against childhood cancer.

Since the arrival of the virus, our focus has been on developing, among other specific actions, new protocols, reducing people in the hospital, educational campaigns and training our professionals. "One of the initiatives was the creation of a treatment unit for symptomatic respiratory cases, with external access to the hospital, to receive these patients more safely and efficiently and not expose the others", explains doctor Fabianne Carlesse, responsible for the infectologist at the hospital , which serves highly complex cases in children and follows strict infection control standards.

In addition to this new service unit, the hospital implemented actions such as reducing the number of people circulating in the spaces, rescheduling appointments with a longer interval, changing the flow of exams to avoid agglomerations, installing banners and educational folders to guide patients and companions, elaboration of a new clinical care protocol, besides the focus on permanent education. And all of these actions had a big effect. Despite the unexpected high investments for all necessary modifications in our care, our hospital has faced the pandemic with commitment and responsibility and so far there have been no deaths reported by employees or patients by COVID-19 in our hospital.

This was only possible because we have our supporters around the world, who are at our side and support us through donations, such as the one you made to our Hospital, to ensure sustainability and the possibility of continuing to provide excellent care against a disease I can't wait for: childhood cancer. Thank you for supporting us.