Parents of affected children are calling on the Basque health to promote the draft submitted by the Biscayne Hospital.
F.A. (El Correo)
Most of the metabolic diseases are detected when the mother and the newborn are already at home, given that it is normal in the Basque country to discharge women two days after childbirth. The Tandem Mass team with which they want to strengthen the service detects not only the real cases, but also the ones who will likely be affected. Physicians call them ‘ false positives ‘. “Unfortunately, we will have to alarm some mothers for the benefit of others whose children have a given disease and it is necessary to start an early treatment,” warns Pablo Sanjurjo pediatrician.
The metabolic pathology manifests itself in different ways. A very important group of diseases among them PKU directly attacks the brain. Most, on the other hand, affect several organs, mainly kidneys and liver, but also the lung. More than 90 of the 200 children, teenagers and young adults treated in the Centre of Barakaldo suffer acute disorders that may endanger their lifes. Osakidetza hospitals are equipped with a computer system, designed in Cruces, allowing network-wide health professionals to understand the disease that patient have as soon as they enter the emergency room. An alarm is triggered on your computer by just typing the name of the patient with therapy he needs.
Another advantage Cruces would have with the recognition of the reference centre category would be the possibility of treating all patients with these diseases. The service is attended by two pediatricians, but not all patients are children. 23 Per cent of those affected are over 14 and 10% are older than 25. “We have treated all since birth, and today, we do not have any specialists to whom refer them.” «We would take care of the young adults and teenagers without any problem», summarizes the pediatrician.
