Norwich — Over the last 2 1/2 weeks, The William W. Backus Hospital has seen some of its highest inpatient numbers in a decade.

“It’s been very, very busy, with no real rhyme or reason, no one thing,” Shawn Mawhiney, hospital spokesman, said Wednesday. “It’s been a combination of respiratory problems, GI (gastrointestinal) problems, flu.”

On Dec. 17, the hospital had 201 patients, 70 more than its normal average. While the hospital is licensed for 213 beds, it normally staffs for a much lower number, Mawhiney said. In response to the surge, Backus called in additional staff and worked extra shifts. It also rented hospital beds.

“Staff have gone above and beyond to accommodate patients,” he said.

Backus remained at high numbers until a day or so before Christmas, when numbers fell back to normal levels. After the holiday, numbers began creeping back up, Mawhiney said, hitting 166 patients on Wednesday.

The unusually high patient numbers at Backus have not been seen at southeastern Connecticut's other hospital. At Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, patient counts have remained within the average range throughout the holiday season, Mike O’Farrell, L+M spokesman, said Wednesday.

At Backus, volumes have been high in the emergency department as well as in elective surgery, Mawhiney said. Many patients with high deductible insurance plans have scheduled procedures for the end of the year to take advantage of insurance reimbursements before the new year starts and a new deductible must be satisfied.

Mawhiney said patient volumes began surging around Dec. 15, when the patient census reached 174. After reaching 201 on Dec. 17, numbers fell to 159 on Dec. 19.

“Through Christmas it was normal, and now it’s back up again,” he said. “There’s no one thing causing this.”

j.benson@theday.com

Twitter: @BensonJudy