Critical care bed capacity in Asian countries and regions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the importance of critical care. The aim of the current study was to compare the number of adult critical care beds in relation to population size in Asian countries and regions before (2017) and during (2022) the pandemic.

Methods

This observational study collected data closest to 2022 on critical care beds (intensive care units and intermediate care units) in 12 middle-income and 7 high-income economies (using the 2022-2023 World Bank classification), through a mix of methods including government sources, national critical care societies, personal contacts, and data extrapolation. Data were compared with a prior study from 2017 of the same countries and regions.

Findings

The cumulative number of

SUBMITTER: Phua J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10733690 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature