The British Hospital extends its Neonatal Unit

The Neonatal Unit was created fifteen years ago and inaugurates an extension with new technologies. Together with the celebration of the 160th anniversary of the British Hospital and after 14 years of its inauguration, the Neonatal Unit will celebrate its 15 years with an extension that will include the incorporation of new technology for neonatal assistance of infants up to 28 day old and pediatric assistance to the oldest ones. The celebration of the British Hospital 160th anniversary, is a good opportunity to visit the British Hospital and update on its different areas, achievements and goals. In the Neonatal Unit, about 220 patients receive attention per year; In the case of newborns the hospitalization average period is of 14 days, while in the pediatric ICU (Intensive Care Unit) is of 4 days only. The British Hospital Neonatal Unit "is a multipurpose unit, which not only provides attention to newborn babies, but also to children up to 15 years old", as it is, in turn, the Pediatric Intensive Care Centre, explained Dr. Alicia García, the area coordinator. The Neonatal Unit population gives attention mostly to premature babies, with less than 38 weeks of the gestation period, which may occur for different reasons, such as multiple pregnancies. The Neonatal Unit provides assistance to preterm birth for the months or weeks that babies were outside the mother´s womb, to overcome, for instance, respiratory immaturity, the delicate skin, as well as other maturation deficiencies that may occur. Nowadays the Neonatal Unit has 9 beds - 7 neonatal and 2 pediatric ones- and in a few weeks, with the ongoing expansion, it is going to have 14 -10 neonatal and 4 pediatrics beds. As well as this, it will incorporate first world technology for mechanical ventilation assistance, to be used in specific cases of acute respiratory failure. To the greatest number of incubators and thermocouples, more fans will be also added with different benefits to assist the various pathologies that may arise. In the Neonatal Unit, hospital infections have a level close to zero, which is essential for the assistance of the immunocompromised. Furthermore, survival rates show very good standards at an international level. In addition to this, the incorporation of hypothermia equipment has been planned, which allows the body of the newborn to reach temperatures close to 33 degrees in order to protect the brain when it has suffered from asphyxia during birth. Moreover, new monitors with a screen which centralizes all vital controls will be also incorporated. Dr. García emphasized the value of the professional team she leads, which consisted of 29 physicians, 14 graduates and 17 nurses. Every day of the year, 24 hours, there is a neonatologist and an intensivist on duty.

"Any of this can be properly applied without a professional team, nursing and doctors, which stands out in both the technical and the human field," mentioned the Coordinator of the Neonatal Unit of the British Hospital.