Early Percutaneous Tracheostomy During the Pandemic "As Good as It Gets".

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) pandemic has put an unprecedented strain on healthcare systems worldwide Even well-resourced countries with comparably high numbers of intensive care beds per capita not only reached but quickly went beyond capacity with supersurge arrangements being implemented in places After the original major outbreak in Wuhan and other regions in China (1), Italy followed by France, the Benelux countries, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK) became particular disease hotspots in Europe The epicenter of the pandemic subsequently shifted to the United States followed by Latin America and the Indian subcontinent Despite the very disparate distribution of healthcare resources and spending across nations and continents, the logistics and pressures in relation to health infrastructure are similar around the globe, such as provision of adequate quantities of mechanical ventilators, medication, and even most basic concerns around hospital oxygen reserves, supplies, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), and not the least manpower [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Critical Care Medicine is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )