Increasing ICU capacity to accommodate higher demand during the COVID-19 pandemic

CONCLUSIONS: The number of currently available staffed ICU beds was lower than in 2020. Equipment shortfalls have been remediated, with sufficient ventilators to equip every ICU bed. ICU capacity can be increased in response to demand, but is constrained by the availability of appropriately trained staff. Fewer than half the potentially additional physical ICU beds could be opened with currently available staff levels while maintaining pre-pandemic models of care.PMID:34642941 | DOI:10.5694/mja2.51318

Source: Medical Journal of Australia - October 13, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: Edward Litton Sue Huckson Shaila Chavan Tamara Bucci Anthony Holley Evan Everest Sean Kelly Steven McGloughlin Johnny Millar Nhi Nguyen Mark Nicholls Paule Secombe David Pilcher Source Type: research