ICU beds: less is more? No

Abstract

is founder and equity shareholder of Epimed Solutions ® , which commercializes the Epimed Monitor System ® , a cloud-based software for ICU management and benchmarking.

Rethinking the post-COVID-19 pandemic hospital: more ICU beds or smart monitoring on the wards?

“…We read with interest the recent article by de Lange et al entitled "ICU beds, less is more? No" [1]. We agree with the authors that the increasing number of vulnerable and elderly patients, of complex surgical procedures and of "just in case" ICU admissions for observation, may require a transformation of our hospitals.…”

Who is going to turn on the ventilators?

“…However, most studies published only considered the number of hospital beds and equipment, relegating the availability of trained professionals to provide critical care much needed to critically ill patients with COVID-19 to a secondary level. (2,4,6,7,17) Nevertheless, as we could demonstrate with this study, planning human resources is just as crucial as planning physical and structural resources. (16) The pandemic generated an urgent need for data on the number and qualification of health professionals that perform several tasks, and who have become crucial at this moment, especially to deliver care to severely-ill patients.…”

“…(3) The lack of access to the ICU beds puts patients at risk for delaying admission to the ICU and implementation of essential therapeutic measures, in addition to causing premature discharge and cancellation of invasive procedures. (6) However, the availability of ICU beds without sufficient and adequately trained personnel also puts patients at risk. (2) Among the limitations of this study, we must mention the data sources.…”

“…(3,4) Throughout this pandemic, much is said about the need for intensive care beds, mechanical ventilation devices, dialysis devices, and monitors. (3)(4)(5)(6)(7) But for these physical resources to be effectively used, there is a need for extremely specialized human resources.…”

ICU beds: less is more? Not sure

“…These arguments are sound, but have to be considered concurrently with opposing views [8]. A lack of ICU beds creates a capacity strain, conceptually defined as a mismatch between demand and supply.…”