Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11054/1605
Title: Surge capacity of intensive care units in case of acute increase in demand caused by COVID‐19 in Australia.
Author: Litton, Edward
Bucci, Tamara
Chavan, Shaila
Ho, Yvonne
Holley, Anthony
Howard, Gretta
Huckson, Sue
Kwong, Philomena
Millar, Johnny
Nguyen, Nhi
Secombe, Paul
Ziegenfuss, Marc
Pilcher, David
Issue Date: 2020
Publication Title: Medical Journal of Australia
Volume: 212
Issue: 10
Start Page: 463
End Page: 467
Abstract: Objectives To assess the capacity of intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia to respond to the expected increase in demand associated with COVID‐19. Design Analysis of Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) registry data, supplemented by an ICU surge capability survey and veterinary facilities survey (both March 2020). Settings All Australian ICUs and veterinary facilities. Main outcome measures Baseline numbers of ICU beds, ventilators, dialysis machines, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines, intravenous infusion pumps, and staff (senior medical staff, registered nurses); incremental capability to increase capacity (surge) by increasing ICU bed numbers; ventilator‐to‐bed ratios; number of ventilators in veterinary facilities. Results The 191 ICUs in Australia provide 2378 intensive care beds during baseline activity (9.3 ICU beds per 100 000 population). Of the 175 ICUs that responded to the surge survey (with 2228 intensive care beds), a maximal surge would add an additional 4258 intensive care beds (191% increase) and 2631 invasive ventilators (120% increase). This surge would require additional staffing of as many as 4092 senior doctors (245% increase over baseline) and 42 720 registered ICU nurses (269% increase over baseline). An additional 188 ventilators are available in veterinary facilities, including 179 human model ventilators. Conclusions The directors of Australian ICUs report that intensive care bed capacity could be near tripled in response to the expected increase in demand caused by COVID‐19. But maximal surge in bed numbers could be hampered by a shortfall in invasive ventilators and would also require a large increase in clinician and nursing staff numbers.
Description: Includes Data from BHS
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11054/1605
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50596
Internal ID Number: 01576
Health Subject: INTENSIVE CARE
RESOURCE ALLOCATION
COVID-19
EPIDEMICS
RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS
HOSPITALS
RESPIRATION, ARTIFICIAL
Type: Journal Article
Article
Appears in Collections:Research Output

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