'Adhere to O2 therapy protocol, overuse leading to artificial crisis'

KOLKATA: The state Health department directed the Superintendents of all hospitals to strictly adhere to oxygen therapy protocol after it found that there was a prevailing tendency of overusing medical oxygen for treatment of Covid patients, leading to artificial crisis.

The hospital authorities have been instructed to deploy a ward sister who will monitor the oxygen management of Covid patients in the hospital. In addition to that, a designated official will be responsible for overall management and supply of oxygen.

"As per the State government protocol, the oxygen saturation should be maintained at 92-96 per cent after initial stabilisation of patients and there is no benefit by increasing the maintenance level. Doctors must write the appropriate device and initial oxygen flow rate in the prescription while the on duty nurses should monitor the saturation and escalate or de-escalate this to maintain the saturation level at the prescribed parameter," reads the order issued to the hospitals.

The Health department also observed that the real time data entry of Covid patients in the CPMS portal is an essential component for monitoring the overall condition and management of Covid patients. It helps in identifying critical and dischargeable patients, rational utilisation of oxygen and CCU/HDU beds by monitoring CPMS score.

The order said an official in the rank of Assistant Superintendent will be responsible for overall management of supply and stock of the oxygen in the hospital and monitor the rational use of oxygen in the hospital. A ward sister has to be identified as nursing officer-in-charge for oxygen management of all Covid patients.

It may be mentioned here that two patients — Manoara Begum (60), a resident of Thakurpukar and Jamuna Nath (50), a resident of Behala — died at Vidyasagar Hospital on Tuesday. It was alleged that there was no flow meter fitted to the cylinder as a result oxygen flow could not be given as they required.

In another development, the Health department also published a guideline for the management of Covid infection in children. It observed that most of the infected children are either mild symptomatic or asymptomatic.

It has also classified the infection into four categories — mild, moderate, severe and critical. The guideline says that in case of mild infection patients can be kept at home isolation with supportive care prescribed by the department. The family members must report to health care facilities if complications arise.

In case of moderate disease, the patient has to be kept at a dedicated pediatric Covid ward.

Oxygen therapy will be given to the patients. In case of a severe patient, he or she must be admitted to HDU/PICU. In case the patient's condition is critical, he or she should be kept at PICU settings, said the guidelines.