Decrease of Respiratory Illnesses Lifts Temporary Visitation Restrictions at Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix, Ariz. (April 7, 2011) – As of 1pm today, visitor restrictions will no longer be in effect at Phoenix Children's. Due to significantly decreasing levels of respiratory viral infections in the community, visitor restrictions at Phoenix Children’s Hospital have been lifted.
Since December of 2010, visitors under the age of 12 were not permitted to enter the Hospital. All areas of the hospital will continue to prohibit visitors of any age with signs of illness (cough, fever, runny nose, rash, etc) from visiting patients. Because young children are much more likely to spread respiratory viruses to others, hospitals around the country use visitor restrictions to help protect patients when respiratory viruses like influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are widespread in the community.
“Even simple colds can be life-threatening for hospitalized children who may have other serious health problems,” said Scott Ostdiek, MD, Medical Director of the Infection Prevention Department at Phoenix Children’s. “Young children are not as careful with hand-washing and other measures that help prevent the spread of infections,” he added.
Respiratory viruses are the leading cause of lower respiratory tract disease in young children and the leading cause of death among low-birth-weight babies. Symptoms include a low fever, coughing, labored breathing, wheezing and nasal congestion. The national season for respiratory viral infections usually runs from November to April. Most cases of the illness are seen in Phoenix between December and February.
For more information visit www.phoenixchildrens.com.
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only licensed children’s hospital, providing world-class care in more than 40 pediatric specialties to children from throughout the state and region. Though Phoenix Children’s is one of the ten largest freestanding children’s hospitals in the country, it is in the midst of a major expansion to meet the needs of the Southwest’s rapid population growth. The signature element of the expansion is a new 11-story, 750,000-square-foot tower which will enable the hospital to grow from 345 licensed beds today to a total of 626 licensed beds once the project is complete. The hospital’s expansion also includes an aggressive physician recruitment effort and new satellite centers in high growth areas of the Valley. For more information, visit the hospital’s web site at www.phoenixchildrens.com.
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Media Contact:
Allison Otu
Phoenix Children's Hospital
602-546-0824
