Doctors ask not to delay visits to polyclinics: some diseases are so neglected that they must be transferred to the hospital immediately

Patient flows fell to 70 percent.

According to Alina Voinič, Head of the Therapy Department of the Antakalnis Polyclinic, the flow of patients decreased significantly during quarantine, especially with pediatric specialists. The doctor notes that about 30 percent. Fewer patients even visit doctors who previously had to queue for 3 months, such as cardiologists or neurologists.

At that time, the flow of patients to pediatric specialists, such as endocrinologists or pulmonologists, was reduced by as much as 70 percent.

According to the interlocutor, people who request too late and who need to see the doctor much earlier must be seen every day.

“We really notice people applying late. There are people who wait very patiently and then they come in and then they have to be hospitalized immediately because we can no longer help on an outpatient basis. Such a delay in going to the doctors can cost both the progression of the disease and the longer treatment and hospitalization, ”said A. Voinič.

According to the doctor, when the patient applies too late, the treatment and recovery period can be longer and more complicated. In addition, hospital treatment is sometimes required, although it could be avoided if applied in time.

For people who decide whether to visit a doctor, A. Voinič advises first consulting a family doctor remotely.

“Everyone has to assess their health and talk to a family doctor about whether it is really worth it and whether it is possible to postpone a visit to the specialists. If the doctor sees that the advice of a specialist is needed, give a referral. Most of the time, specialist doctors want to see a person live, and after a live consultation, other consultations can be done remotely ”, said the interviewee.

The doctor listed a number of cases in which a visit to a cardiologist could not be postponed after consulting with family doctors and should be contacted as soon as possible:

complaining of pain in the heart area;

decreased exercise tolerance;

new oppressive pains appear in the heart area;

suspected arrhythmias;

progressive or new onset dyspnea;

difficulty adjusting blood pressure;

episode of loss of consciousness;

progression of heart failure;

rare episodes of the hemisphere;

frequent palpitations.

There are also neurological cases in which a person should not delay the visit for a long time:

dizziness has occurred;

atypical headache;

coordination, movement disorders;

episode of altered consciousness;

numbness of limbs, face, tongue;

worsening of any chronic illness.

Chronic endocrine diseases, such as diabetes or thyroid diseases, should by no means be forgotten, and regular visits to the doctor should be made.

A. Voinič ensures that all infection control requirements are met in medical institutions, staff work with personal protective equipment, facilities are disinfected, flow is regulated, number of patients is monitored, and facilities are not allowed. people gather in the hallways.

“I don’t think people come out of fear of contracting the coronavirus. Perhaps I believe that all doctors only work with patients with COVID-19. We want to say that the divisions of COVID-19 are separated and our specialists work in the same way that they worked before quarantine. Live advice is provided and people can go to specialist doctors with the referral of a GP or other doctor. The works are not stopped, there are planned and urgent consultations, “said A. Voinič.

“We also want to ask patients who cannot come to notify us in advance, because we can assign that place to another patient,” added the interlocutor.

Late visits to an eye doctor can also lead to blindness

Ophthalmologists also notice decreased flow of patients and patients delay visiting doctors.

“The number of new patients has decreased and the flow of those receiving regular treatment has changed insignificantly. However, some are overdue and we are already seeing a number of neglected cases of the disease. We see an increase in cases of vision problems, macular degeneration, mature cataracts. While most degenerative diseases can wait, this requires regular medical check-ups every six months. And when a patient does not see a doctor during that semester, anything can happen, ”warned Eglė Šumskienė, ophthalmologist and head of the department of surgery at Antakalnis Polyclinic.

According to the doctor, it is very important to monitor changes in your vision. Therefore, if a person begins to see worse, the image becomes like through fog, the color gradually fades, it becomes more difficult to drive the car during the dark hours of the day, it is necessary to consult with an ophthalmologist. These may be the first symptoms of cataracts.

If a person delays the examination, the cataract progresses, the lens of the eye becomes increasingly cloudy, the patient’s vision deteriorates, and finally the person distinguishes only light from darkness. If the patient tries to delay the operation, the consequences can be sad, they can be dazzling.

In addition, according to E. Šumskienė, the later a cataract is performed, the greater the risk of complications, since the lens continues to cloud and harden, the pressure in the eye increases, making it difficult to remove.

The doctor adds that some people think that elective surgery is not currently performed in outpatient settings. For this reason, surgery is chosen in private clinics, although the same operation can be performed by a public body and is free.