Policy Proposals for Mitigating Intensive Care Unit Strain: Insights from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Intensive care unit (ICU) strain, characterized by a discrepancy between perceived or actual intensive care resources and demand, significantly impacts patient outcomes and healthcare worker well-being. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated ICU strain, leading to increased mortality and extended hospital stays, affecting both critically ill patients with and without COVID-19. A systematic review identified 16 leading and lagging indicators of ICU capacity strain, including queuing, premature and after-hours ICU discharge, use of temporary space, length of stay, burnout, staffing and nurse-to-patient ratio, ICU census, acuity and turnover, standardized mortality ratio, readmissions, availability of critical supplies, ventilator use, and surgery cancellation. However, varia

SUBMITTER: Douglas IS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11622822 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature