Packed ERs turn away ambulances

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Officials say overcrowded ERs turn away ambulances

By Abram, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 01/17/2008 09:58:20 PM PST

NORTHRIDGE - A wave of patients suffering from bad colds and flu-like

symptoms is flooding emergency departments across Los Angeles County,

causing ambulances to be turned away and wait times of up to six hours

in some places, officials said Thursday.

Northridge Hospital Medical Center has seen a 10 percent to 15 percent

increase in patient visits in the last week, mostly from those

suffering from respiratory infections, said Dr. , the

hospital's medical director of emergency services.

said the bump in patient visits is normal, though this year's

increase has begun a little later than usual.

" Typically we tend to see this right around the holidays, " he said.

" We're seeing some influenza and more upper respiratory infections.

But so far, it's not as bad as in past years. "

Meanwhile, patient visits at Providence Holy Cross in Mission Hills

has seen a 27 percent increase since the end of December, spokesman

Dan Boyle said.

County health officials are concerned about the trend because more

hospitals have increased their requests for ambulance traffic to be

diverted from emergency departments, according to the Los Angeles

County Emergency Medical Services Agency, which tracks ER saturation.

" Ambulance diversion rates are one indicator of how crowded Los

Angeles County emergency departments are at any given time, " officials

said in a prepared statement.

From Dec. 30 to Jan. 5, the countywide ambulance diversion rate

increased from 12 percent to 19 percent. From Jan. 6 to 12, the

diversion rate increased to 21 percent.

Patients are being urged to visit their physicians - not the ER - for

treatment. " Patients tend to flood local emergency rooms at this time

of year for symptoms that can most often be more quickly and

appropriately treated by a primary care doctor, " said Dr. Bruce

Chernof, director and chief medical officer for the county Department

of Health Services.

Meanwhile, public health officials are reminding parents that

over-the-counter cough and cold medications should not be used to

treat infants and children under 2.

In October, the federal Food and Drug Administration urged

pharmaceutical companies and distributors to pull several products off

the shelves after more than 1,500 cases of bad reactions to pediatric

cough and cold medicines were reported to the agency over the last two

years. Many cases resulted from accidental overdoses.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_8003817