Primary Children’s Hospital delaying non-urgent procedures and surgeries

SALT LAKE CITY — Primary Children’s Hospital officials announced they will be delaying all non-urgent surgeries and procedures due to the extremely high number of patients currently being treated at the hospital.

Officials said the spike includes COVID and non-COVID patients, an influx of patients with respiratory illnesses, such as RSV, and trauma-related injuries.

“Our patient volumes now exceed typical winter surge levels, which is unprecedented,” said Dustin Lipson, administrator of Primary Children’s Hospital. “Our typical in-patient volume this time of year is about 180 patients. In peak respiratory season, we average 230 patients. Yesterday, we cared for 249 hospitalized patients.”

NEW: @Intermountain @PrimaryChildren to delay non-urgent pediatric procedures & surgeries until Nov 28, due to high patient volumes driven by RSV, COVID, and trauma-related injuries.

“Our patient volumes now exceed typical winter surge levels, which is unprecedented." pic.twitter.com/X2CwFqaSvL

— Jess Gomez (@Jess_Intermtn) November 4, 2021

All non-emergency inpatient and outpatient surgeries and procedures through Nov. 28 will be delayed, but those who need urgent care will still be seen.

“We are contacting patient families to reschedule non-urgent surgeries and procedures,” Lipson said. “To be clear, patients who urgently need surgeries and procedures will receive them. We are deploying caregivers in surgical and procedural areas to care for patients in other areas of the hospital.”