As Estonian healthcare authorities prepare for possible increased surge in Covid-19 patients in hospitals already stretched by the crisis, new triage recommendations have been released, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports.
Last week, the Estonian Health Board published new triage guidelines as it readies for the coronavirus situation to worsen in the coming weeks, which has been exacerbated by a shortage of healthcare workers.
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According to Juri Karjagin, senior physician and head of the department of anaesthesiology at the Tartu University Hospital the guidelines say that «If a person has pneumonia, for example, but they do not need extra oxygen, then they can have pneumonia at home».
As to asthma patients, people, who experience an acute asthma attack, will no longer be brought to the emergency department and admitted for care and monitoring. Instead, if the hospital situation worsens, they will be sent home until the attack reoccurs. For people with appendicitis, who will have a surgery, the patients will be sent home as soon as possible after it, ERR reports.
Estonian hospitals given patient prioritising guidelines for worsening of Covid situation
