Fugulin scale for classifying pediatric patients in a respiratory inpatient unit: experience report

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of the Fugulin scale to classify pediatric patients hospitalized in a respiratory unit as a subsidy for the allocation of human resources given the increase in cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. METHOD: Experience report conducted in a children’s hospital in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba with data collection from medical records and approved by the Institution and by the Research Ethics Committee. RESULTS: Between February and May 2022, the percentage of patients categorized in minimal and intermediate care decreased by 53 and 11.4%, respectively, while those in high dependency and semi-intensive care expanded by 31.2 and 84.2%. In addition, in just four months, there was a considerable increase in the positivity of virologies compared to the twelve months of 2021. The susceptibility of children to the development of severe respiratory infection was proven through the decrease in virologies with undetectable results. CONCLUSION: The results obtained allowed us to conclude there was a significant increase in the complexity of patients admitted to the respiratory unit, showing it is essential to provide a nursing team compatible with the care needs.