By Mariane Rodrigues | Project Leader
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.
By Mariane Rodrigues | Project Leader
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