scholarly journals All for One and One for All: Voluntary Physicians in the Intensive Medicine Units During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Spain

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Teresa Nunez-Villaveiran ◽  
Alejandro González-Castro ◽  
Emilio Nevado-Losada ◽  
Abelardo García-de-Lorenzo ◽  
Pau Garro
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Surge Capacity ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Retrospective Survey ◽  
Bed Capacity ◽  
Care Capacity ◽  
Intensive Medicine

ABSTRACT Objectives: Our purpose was to determine the intensive care units’ (ICU’s) medical staff surge capacity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Spring 2020 in Spain. Methods: A multicenter retrospective survey was performed addressing the medical specialties present in the ICUs and the increase in bed capacity during this period. Results: Sixty-seven centers (62.04%) answered the questionnaire. The ICU bed capacity during the pandemic outbreak increased by 160% (95% confidence interval [CI], 128.97-191.03%). The average number of beds per intensive care medicine (ICM) specialist was 1.5 ± 0.60 and 3.71 ± 2.44 beds/specialist before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, respectively. Non-ICM specialists and residents were present in 50 (74.63%) and 23 (34.3%) ICUs during the outbreak, respectively. The number of physicians (ICM and non-ICM residents and specialists) in the ICU increased by 89.40% (95% CI, 64.26114.53%). The increase in ICM specialists was, however, 4.94% (95% CI, −1.35-11.23%). Most non-ICM physicians were anesthetists, followed by pediatricians and cardiologists. Conclusions: The majority of ICUs in our study were able to rapidly expand critical care capacity by adapting areas outside of the normal ICU to manage critically ill patients, and by extending the critical care staff with noncritical care physicians working as force multipliers.

scholarly journals Confronting COVID-19: Surging critical care capacity in Italy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose M Rodriguez-Llanes ◽  
Rafael Castro Delgado ◽  
Morten Gram Pedersen ◽  
Pedro Arcos González ◽  
Matteo Meneghini
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Concomitant Disease ◽  
Surge Capacity ◽  
Italian Government ◽  
Current Spread ◽  
The Government ◽  
Robust Measures ◽  
Care Capacity

SummaryThe current spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Europe threats Italian’s capacity and that of other national health systems to effectively respond to the needs of patients who require intensive care, mostly due to pneumonia and derived complications from concomitant disease and age. Predicting the surge in capacity has proved difficult due to the requirement of a subtle combination of diverse expertise and difficult choices to be made on selecting robust measures of critical care utilization, and parsimonious epidemic modelling which account for changing government measures. We modelled the required surge capacity of ICU beds in Italy exclusively for COVID-19 patients at epidemic peak. Because new measures were imposed by the Italian government, suspending nearly all non-essential sectors of the economy, we included the potential impacts of these new measures. The modelling considered those hospitalized and home isolated as quarantined, mimicking conditions on the ground. The percentage of patients in intensive care (out of the daily active confirmed cases) required for our calculations were chosen based on clinical relevance and robustness, and this number was consistently on average 9·9% from February 24 to March 6, 2020. Five different scenarios were produced (two positive and three negative). Under most positive scenarios, in which R0 is reduced below 1 (i.e., 0 ·71), the number of daily active confirmed cases will peak at nearly 89 000 by the early days of April and the total number of intensive care beds exclusively dedicated to COVID-19 patients required in Italy estimated at 8791. Worst scenarios produce unmanageable numbers. Our results suggest that the decisive moment for Italy has come. Jointly reinforcement by the government of the measures approved so far, including home confinement, but even more important the full commitment of the civil society in respecting home confinement, social distancing and hygiene will be key in the next days. Yet, even under the best circumstances, intensive care capacity will need to get closer to 9000 units in the country to avoid preventable mortality. So far, only strong measures were effective in Italy, as shown by our modelling, and this may offer an opportunity to European countries to accelerate their interventions.

Sedation and delirium

2019 ◽  
pp. 145-160
Author(s):  
Nim Pathmanathan ◽  
Paul Nixon
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Case History ◽  
Critical Care Unit ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Standard Textbook ◽  
Learning Points

This chapter is centred on a case study of sedation and delirium. This topic is one of the key challenging areas in critical care medicine and one that all intensive care staff will encounter. The chapter is based on a detailed case history, ensuring clinical relevance, together with relevant images, making this easily relatable to daily practice in the critical care unit. The chapter is punctuated by evidence-based, up-to-date learning points, which highlight key information for the reader. Throughout the chapter, a topic expert provides contextual advice and commentary, adding practical expertise to the standard textbook approach and reinforcing key messages.

scholarly journals The good, the bad and the ugly: pandemic priority decisions and triage

2020 ◽  
pp. medethics-2020-106489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Flaatten ◽  
Vernon Van Heerden ◽  
Christian Jung ◽  
Michael Beil ◽  
Susannah Leaver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Utilitarian Approach ◽  
Bed Capacity ◽  
Trained Staff ◽  
Short Time

In this analysis we discuss the change in criteria for triage of patients during three different phases of a pandemic like COVID-19, seen from the critical care point of view. Availability of critical care beds has become a hot topic, and in many countries, we have seen a huge increase in the provision of temporary intensive care bed capacity. However, there is a limit where the hospitals may run out of resources to provide critical care, which is heavily dependent on trained staff, just-in-time supply chains for clinical consumables and drugs and advanced equipment. In the first (good) phase, we can still do clinical prioritisation and decision-making as usual, based on the need for intensive care and prognostication: what are the odds for a good result with regard to survival and quality of life. In the next (bad phase), the resources are mostly available, but the system is stressed by many patients arriving over a short time period and auxiliary beds in different places in the hospital being used. We may have to abandon admittance of patients with doubtful prognosis. In the last (ugly) phase, usual medical triage and priority setting may not be sufficient to decrease inflow and there may not be enough intensive care unit beds available. In this phase different criteria must be applied using a utilitarian approach for triage. We argue that this is an important transition where society, and not physicians, must provide guidance to support triage that is no longer based on medical priorities alone.

scholarly journals Telemedicine coverage for post-operative ICU patients

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Ann Collins ◽  
Matthew P Robertson ◽  
Corinna P Sicoutris ◽  
Michael A Pisa ◽  
Daniel N Holena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care ◽  
Surge Capacity ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Critical Care Service ◽  
Surgical Critical Care

Introduction There is an increased demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds. We sought to determine if we could create a safe surge capacity model to increase ICU capacity by treating ICU patients in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) utilizing a collaborative model between an ICU service and a telemedicine service during peak ICU bed demand. Methods We evaluated patients managed by the surgical critical care service in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) compared to patients managed in the virtual intensive care unit (VICU) located within the PACU. A retrospective review of all patients seen by the surgical critical care service from January 1st 2008 to July 31st 2011 was conducted at an urban, academic, tertiary centre and level 1 trauma centre. Results Compared to the SICU group ( n = 6652), patients in the VICU group ( n = 1037) were slightly older (median age 60 (IQR 47–69) versus 58 (IQR 44–70) years, p = 0.002) and had lower acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scores (median 10 (IQR 7–14) versus 15 (IQR 11–21), p < 0.001). The average amount of time patients spent in the VICU was 13.7 + /–9.6 hours. In the VICU group, 750 (72%) of patients were able to be transferred directly to the floor; 287 (28%) required subsequent admission to the surgical intensive care unit. All patients in the VICU group were alive upon transfer out of the PACU while mortality in the surgical intensive unit cohort was 5.5%. Discussion A collaborative care model between a surgical critical care service and a telemedicine ICU service may safely provide surge capacity during peak periods of ICU bed demand. The specific patient populations for which this approach is most appropriate merits further investigation.

scholarly journals Rapid Critical Care Training of Nurses in the Surge Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. e104-e107
Author(s):  
Diana Brickman ◽  
Andrew Greenway ◽  
Kathryn Sobocinski ◽  
Hanh Thai ◽  
Ashley Turick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
New York State ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Critical Care Nursing ◽  
Care Nursing

Background In response to the coronavirus pandemic, New York State mandated that all hospitals double the capacity of their adult intensive care units In this facility, resources were mobilized to increase from 104 to 283 beds. Objective To create and implement a 3-hour curriculum to prepare several hundred non–critical care staff nurses to manage critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Methods Critical care nursing leaders and staff developed and implemented a flexible critical care nursing curriculum tailored to the diverse experience, expertise, and learning needs of non–critical care nursing staff who were being redeployed to critical care units during the surge response to the pandemic. Curricular elements included respiratory failure and ventilator management, shock and hemodynamics, pharmacotherapy for critical illnesses, and renal replacement therapy. A skills station allowed hands-on practice with common critical care equipment. Results A total of 413 nurses completed training within 10 days. As of June 2020, 151 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 still required mechanical ventilation at our institution, and 7 of 10 temporary intensive care units remained operational. Thus most of the nurses who received this training continued to practice critical care. A unique feature of this curriculum was the tailored instruction, adapted to learners’ needs, which improved the efficiency of content delivery. Conclusions Program evaluation is ongoing. As recovery and restoration proceed and normal operations resume, detailed feedback from program participants and patient care managers will help the institution maintain high operational readiness should a second wave of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 be admitted.

scholarly journals Critical Care Demand and Intensive Care Supply for Patients in Japan with COVID-19 at the Time of the State of Emergency Declaration in April 2020: A Descriptive Analysis

Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Yosuke Fujii ◽  
Kiichi Hirota
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Medical Institutions ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Care Capacity

Background and objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is overwhelming Japan’s intensive care capacity. This study aimed to determine the number of patients with COVID-19 who required intensive care and to compare the numbers with Japan’s intensive care capacity. Materials and Methods: Publicly available datasets were used to obtain the number of confirmed patients with COVID-19 undergoing mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) between 15 February and 19 July 2020 to determine and compare intensive care unit (ICU) and attending bed needs for patients with COVID-19, and to estimate peak ICU demands in Japan. Results: During the epidemic peak in late April, 11,443 patients (1.03/10,000 adults) had been infected, 373 patients (0.034/10,000 adults) were in ICU, 312 patients (0.028/10,000 adults) were receiving mechanical ventilation, and 62 patients (0.0056/10,000 adults) were under ECMO per day. At the peak of the epidemic, the number of infected patients was 651% of designated beds, and the number of patients requiring intensive care was 6.0% of ICU beds, 19.1% of board-certified intensivists, and 106% of designated medical institutions in Japan. Conclusions: The number of critically ill patients with COVID-19 continued to rise during the pandemic, exceeding the number of designated beds but not exceeding ICU capacity.

scholarly journals Predicted Effects of Stopping COVID-19 Lockdown on Italian Hospital Demand

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 638-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordy Bollon ◽  
Matteo Paganini ◽  
Consuelo Rubina Nava ◽  
Nello De Vita ◽  
Rosanna Vaschetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Compartmental Model ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Surge Capacity ◽  
Hospital Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Italian Hospital ◽  
Hospital Bed

ABSTRACTObjectives:Italy has been one of the first countries to implement mitigation measures to curb the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There is currently a debate on when and how such measures should be loosened. To forecast the demand for hospital intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU beds for COVID-19 patients from May to September, we developed 2 models, assuming a gradual easing of restrictions or an intermittent lockdown.Methods:We used a compartmental model to evaluate 2 scenarios: (A) an intermittent lockdown; (B) a gradual relaxation of the lockdown. Predicted ICU and non-ICU demand was compared with the peak in hospital bed use observed in April 2020.Results:Under scenario A, while ICU demand will remain below the peak, the number of non-ICU will substantially rise and will exceed it (133%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 94-171). Under scenario B, a rise in ICU and non-ICU demand will start in July and will progressively increase over the summer 2020, reaching 95% (95% CI: 71-121) and 237% (95% CI: 191-282) of the April peak.Conclusions:Italian hospital demand is likely to remain high in the next months. If restrictions are reduced, planning for the next several months should consider an increase in health-care resources to maintain surge capacity across the country.

Post-cardiac arrest care and prognostication

2019 ◽  
pp. 87-100
Author(s):  
Justine Barnett ◽  
Jerry Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Critical Care Unit ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Standard Textbook ◽  
Learning Points

This chapter is centred on a case study on brain injury after cardiac arrest. This topic is one of the key challenging areas in critical care medicine and one that all intensive care staff will encounter. The chapter is based on a detailed case history, ensuring clinical relevance, together with relevant images, making this easily relatable to daily practice in the critical care unit. The chapter is punctuated by evidence-based, up-to-date learning points, which highlight key information for the reader. Throughout the chapter, a topic expert provides contextual advice and commentary, adding practical expertise to the standard textbook approach and reinforcing key messages.

scholarly journals Feature Explanations in Recurrent Neural Networks for Predicting Risk of Mortality in Intensive Care Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 934
Author(s):  
Thanakron Na Pattalung ◽  
Thammasin Ingviya ◽  
Sitthichok Chaichulee
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Recurrent Neural Networks ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Intensive Care Patients ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
Risk Of Mortality

Critical care staff are presented with a large amount of data, which made it difficult to systematically evaluate. Early detection of patients whose condition is deteriorating could reduce mortality, improve treatment outcomes, and allow a better use of healthcare resources. In this study, we propose a data-driven framework for predicting the risk of mortality that combines high-accuracy recurrent neural networks with interpretable explanations. Our model processes time-series of vital signs and laboratory observations to predict the probability of a patient’s mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). We investigated our approach on three public critical care databases: Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III), MIMIC-IV, and eICU. Our models achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.87–0.91. Our approach was not only able to provide the predicted mortality risk but also to recognize and explain the historical contributions of the associated factors to the prediction. The explanations provided by our model were consistent with the literature. Patients may benefit from early intervention if their clinical observations in the ICU are continuously monitored in real time.

scholarly journals Critical care medicine in the French Territories in the Americas: Current situation and prospects

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hatem Kallel ◽  
Dabor Resiere ◽  
Stéphanie Houcke ◽  
Didier Hommel ◽  
Jean Marc Pujo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Multidisciplinary Care ◽  
Scientific Cooperation ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Critical Care Management ◽  
Bed Capacity ◽  
Training Research ◽  
Seriously Ill Patients

Hospitals in the French Territories in the Americas (FTA) work according to international and French standards. This paper aims to describe different aspects of critical care in the FTA. For this, we reviewed official information about population size and intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity in the FTA and literature on FTA ICU specificities. Persons living in or visiting the FTA are exposed to specific risks, mainly severe road traffic injuries, envenoming, stab or ballistic wounds, and emergent tropical infectious diseases. These diseases may require specific knowledge and critical care management. However, there are not enough ICU beds in the FTA. Indeed, there are 7.2 ICU beds/100 000 population in Guadeloupe, 7.2 in Martinique, and 4.5 in French Guiana. In addition, seriously ill patients in remote areas regularly have to be transferred, most often by helicopter, resulting in a delay in admission to intensive care. The COVID-19 crisis has shown that the health care system in the FTA is unready to face such an epidemic and that intensive care bed capacity must be increased. In conclusion, the critical care sector in the FTA requires upgrading of infrastructure, human resources, and equipment as well as enhancement of multidisciplinary care. Also needed are promotion of training, research, and regional and international medical and scientific cooperation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document