Demand For Critical Care Services Research Articles

The Maryland (USA) Critical Care Coordination Center (C4): From Pandemic to Permanence.

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic created overwhelming demand for critical care services within Maryland's (USA) hospital systems. As intensive care units (ICUs) became full, critically ill patients were boarded in hospital emergency departments (EDs), a practice associated with increased mortality and costs. Allocation of critical care resources during the pandemic requires thoughtful and proactive management strategies. While various methodologies exist for addressing the issue of ED overcrowding, few systems have implemented a state-wide response using a public safety-based platform. The objective of this report is to describe the implementation of a state-wide Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-based coordination center designed to ensure timely and equitable access to critical care. The state of Maryland designed and implemented a novel, state-wide Critical Care Coordination Center (C4) staffed with intensivist physicians and paramedics purposed to ensure appropriate critical care resource management and patient transfer assistance. A narrative description of the C4 is provided. A retrospective cohort study design was used to present requests to the C4 as a case series report to describe the results of implementation. Providing a centralized asset with regional situational awareness of hospital capability and bed status played an integral role for directing the triage process of critically ill patients to appropriate facilities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 2,790 requests were received by the C4. The pairing of a paramedic with an intensivist physician resulted in the successful transfer of 67.4% of requests, while 27.8% were managed in place with medical direction. Overall, COVID-19 patients comprised 29.5% of the cohort. Data suggested increased C4 usage was predictive of state-wide ICU surges. The C4 usage volume resulted in the expansion to pediatric services to serve a broader age range. The C4 concept, which leverages the complimentary skills of EMS clinicians and intensivist physicians, is presented as a proposed public safety-based model for other regions to consider world-wide. The C4 has played an integral role in the State of Maryland's pledge to its citizens to deliver the right care to the right patient at the right time and can be considered as a model for adoption by other regions world-wide.

A comparison of clinical profile and outcomes among different age groups of critically ill elderly patients in a tertiary level hospital in Nepal: A retrospective study

Background: Ageing population has increased the rate of hospitalizations and demand for critical care services. The data on the clinical profile and outcomes of different groups of elderly admitted to the intensive care units (ICU) are however sparse. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical profile and outcomes among different age groups of critically ill elderly patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary level hospital. Materials and Methods: This retrospective and observational study reviewed all the elderly patients aged 60 years and above, admitted to the ICU of a tertiary hospital over a period of 1 year. The patients were divided into three groups, 60–69 years, 70–79 years, and 80 years and above. Non-probability sampling was done. Kruskal–Wallis H test was performed to compare the median values of the variables between the three groups. Results: Among 173 patients analyzed, the three groups did not differ in clinical characteristics, requirement of renal replacement therapy and cardiovascular support, length of stay (LOS) in ICU, LOS in mechanical ventilator, and patients who improved and transferred out of ICU. Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE) II score was significantly higher in 70–79 years compared to the other two groups (P=0.01) as was the in-hospital mortality (P=0.03). Conclusion: APACHE II score rather than age is a good predictor of adverse outcomes in ICU. Age should not be used to preclude the utilization of resources in ICU.

ICU-Managed Patients' Epidemiology, Characteristics, and Outcomes: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

Resources are limited, and it is exceedingly difficult to provide intensive care in developing nations. In Somalia, intensive care unit (ICU) care was introduced only a few years ago. In this study, we aimed to determine the epidemiology, characteristics, and outcome of ICU-managed patients in a tertiary hospital in Mogadishu. We retrospectively evaluated the files of 1082 patients admitted to our ICU during the year 2021. The majority (39.7%) of the patients were adults (aged between 20 and 39 years), and 67.8% were male patients. The median ICU length of stay was three days (IQR = 5 days), and nonsurvivors had shorter stays, one day. The mortality rate was 45.1%. The demand for critical care services in low-income countries is high. The country has a very low ICU bed capacity. Critical care remains a neglected area of health service delivery in this setting, with large numbers of patients with potentially treatable conditions not having access to such services.

The Role of a Statewide Critical Care Coordination Center in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic-and Beyond.

OBJECTIVE:Public health emergencies, like the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, can cause unprecedented demand for critical care services. We describe statewide implementation of a critical care coordination center designed to optimize ICU utilization. To describe a centralized critical care coordination center designed to ensure appropriate intensive care resource allocation.DESIGN:A descriptive case series of consecutive critically ill adult patients.SETTING:ICUs, emergency departments, freestanding medical facilities in the state of Maryland and adjacent states, serving a population of over 6,045,000 across a land area of 9,776 sq mi (25,314 km2).PATIENTS:Adults requiring intensive care.INTERVENTIONS:Consultation with a critical care physician and emergency medical services clinician.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Number of consults, number of patient movements to higher levels of critical care, and number of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation referrals for both patients with and without coronavirus disease 2019. Over a 6-month period, critical care coordination center provided 1,006 critical care consultations and directed 578 patient transfers for 58 hospitals in the state of Maryland and adjoining region. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation referrals were requested for 58 patients. Four-hundred twenty-eight patients (42.5%) were managed with consultation only and did not require transfer.CONCLUSIONS:Critical care coordination center, staffed 24/7 by a critical care physician and emergency medical service clinician, may improve critical care resource use and patient flow. This serves as a model for a tiered regionalized system to ensure that the demand for critical care services may be met during a pandemic and beyond.

Medicare in the Age of COVID: A Case Study in HFSA Advocacy

Throughout 2020 and 2021, the public health crisis caused by COVID-19 has affected patients and health care in all manners of speaking. From unprecedented demand for critical care services, precipitous drops in volumes and revenues from elective procedures, fear-driven forgoing of potentially necessary care, the impact on the public health care system and patients has been varied and sometimes conflicting. While these factors have wreaked havoc on the health system, other mechanisms that impact access and quality have continued to influence the delivery of care, and the continued pressure on Medicare reimbursements is no exception.

Impact of lockdowns on critical care service demand in a metropolitan hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

There is a growing recognition of the impact of lockdowns on non-COVID-19 demand for critical care services. While a reduction in demand has been postulated, there remains a paucity of quantitative data on the extent and nature of this reduction. The present study aims to quantify the impact of lockdown on critical care services, namely ED, intensive care unit (ICU), medical emergency team (MET) and emergency theatre (ET) demand, during the lockdown in Victoria, Australia. This is a single-centred, retrospective observational study on critical service demand, comparing activity levels during the lockdown (31 March to 27 October 2020) with the matched time period from 1year prior. There was a reduction in presentations to ED (27.2%), MET calls (27.4%), ICU patient episodes (14.5%) and ET bookings (5.8%). There was an unexpected increase in ICU admissions for metabolic diagnoses, comprising drug overdoses and diabetic ketoacidosis, and a reduction in respiratory ICU admissions. There was a reduction across all ED triage categories, which included triage 1 and 2 patients, indicating a reduction even in life-threatening and emergency presentations. Lockdowns lead to a significant reduction in ICU, MET call and ED demand, and to a lesser extent ET demand. This pattern should be considered in surge capacity and workforce redeployment planning. There are also impacts on public health epidemiology, with potential adverse consequences on mental health and chronic disease management. Further research on the impact of lockdowns on long-term disease outcomes is needed.

Covid-19 1 year on: The challenge for low-middle income countries.

Covid-19 1 year on: The challenge for low-middle income countries.

Actions Taken by US Hospitals to Prepare for Increased Demand for Intensive Care During the First Wave of COVID-19: A National Survey

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic placed considerable strain on critical care resources. How US hospitals responded to this crisis is unknown.Research QuestionWhat actions did US hospitals take to prepare for a potential surge in demand for critical care services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?Study Design and MethodsFrom September to November 2020, the chief nursing officers of a representative sample of US hospitals were surveyed regarding organizational actions taken to increase or maintain critical care capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weighted proportions of hospitals for each potential action were calculated to create estimates across the entire population of US hospitals, accounting for both the sampling strategy and nonresponse. Also examined was whether the types of actions taken varied according to the cumulative regional incidence of COVID-19 cases.ResultsResponses were received from 169 of 540 surveyed US hospitals (response rate, 31.3%). Almost all hospitals canceled or postponed elective surgeries (96.7%) and nonsurgical procedures (94.8%). Few hospitals created new medical units in areas not typically dedicated to health care (12.9%), and almost none adopted triage protocols (5.6%) or protocols to connect multiple patients to a single ventilator (4.8%). Actions to increase or preserve ICU staff, including use of ICU telemedicine, were highly variable, without any single dominant strategy. Hospitals experiencing a higher incidence of COVID-19 did not consistently take different actions compared with hospitals facing lower incidence.InterpretationResponses of hospitals to the mass need for critical care services due to the COVID-19 pandemic were highly variable. Most hospitals canceled procedures to preserve ICU capacity and scaled up ICU capacity using existing clinical space and staffing. Future research linking hospital response to patient outcomes can inform planning for additional surges of this pandemic or other events in the future.

Associations Between Dust Storms and Intensive Care Unit Admissions in the United States, 2000-2015.

Anthropogenic climate change is influencing the incidence of dust storms and associated human exposure to coarse particulate matter (PM2.5–10) in the United States. Studies have found adverse health consequences related to dust exposure. These consequences include respiratory disease exacerbations and premature mortality, resulting in increased health care utilization. However, the impact of dust storms on critical care demand has not been studied in the United States. We seek to quantify the relationship between dust storms and surges in critical care demand by investigating the association between dust storms and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions at nearby hospitals from 2000 to 2015. ICU data were acquired from Premier, Inc. and encompass 15–20% of all ICU admissions in the United States. Dust storm, meteorology, and air pollutant data were downloaded from the U.S. National Weather Service, the U.S. National Climatic Data Center, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency websites, respectively. Associations between ICU admission and dust storms, controlling for temperature, dew point temperature, ambient PM2.5 and ozone, as well as seasonally varying confounders, were estimated using a distributed lag conditional Poisson model with overdispersion. We found a 4.8% (95% CI: 0.4, 9.4; p = 0.033) increase in total ICU admissions on the day of the dust storm (Lag 0) and a 9.2% (95% CI: 1.8, 17.0; p = 0.013) and 7.5% (95% CI: 0.3, 15.2; p = 0.040) increase in respiratory admissions at Lags 0 and 5. North American dust storms are associated with increases in same day and lagged demand for critical care services at nearby hospitals.

Epidemiology and outcomes of sepsis among hospitalizations with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to the ICU: a population-based cohort study

BackgroundSepsis is the most common cause of premature death among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) aged ≤ 50 years in the United States, and infection is the most common cause of admission to the ICU among SLE patients. However, there are no population-level data on the patterns of the demand for critical care services among hospitalized septic patients with SLE or the outcomes of those admitted to the ICU.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study, using the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File, to identify SLE hospitalizations aged ≥ 18 years and the subgroups with sepsis and ICU admission during 2009–2014. The patterns of ICU admission among septic hospitalizations were examined. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify predictors of short-term mortality (defined as hospital death or discharge to hospice) among ICU admissions with sepsis and to estimate the risk-adjusted short-term mortality among ICU admissions with and without sepsis.ResultsAmong 94,338 SLE hospitalizations, 17,037 (18.1%) had sepsis and 9409 (55.2%) of the latter were admitted to the ICU. Sepsis accounted for 51.5% of the growth in volume of ICU admissions among SLE hospitalizations during the study period. Among ICU admissions with sepsis, 25.3% were aged ≥ 65 years, 88.6% were female, and 64.4% were non-white minorities. The odds of short-term mortality among septic ICU admissions were increased among those lacking health insurance (adjusted odds ratio 1.40 [95% confidence interval 1.07–1.84]), while being unaffected by gender and race/ethnicity, and remaining unchanged over the study period. On adjusted analyses among ICU admissions, the short-term mortality among those with and without sepsis was 13% (95% CI 12.6–13.3) and 2.7% (95% CI 2.6–2.8), respectively. Sepsis was associated with 63.6% of all short-term mortality events.ConclusionsSepsis is a major, incremental driver of the demand for critical care services among SLE hospitalizations. Despite its relatively low mortality, sepsis was associated with most of the short-term deaths among ICU patients with SLE.

Critical care capacity in Haiti: A nationwide cross-sectional survey.

ObjectiveCritical illness affects health systems globally, but low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a disproportionate burden. Due to a paucity of data, the capacity to care for critically ill patients in LMICs is largely unknown. Haiti has the lowest health indices in the Western Hemisphere. In this study, we report results of the first known nationwide survey of critical care capacity in Haiti.DesignNationwide, cross-sectional survey of Haitian hospitals in 2017–2018.SettingHaiti.SubjectsAll Haitian health facilities with at least six hospital beds.InterventionsElectronic- and paper-based survey.ResultsOf 51 health facilities identified, 39 (76.5%) from all ten Haitian administrative departments completed the survey, reporting 124 reported ICU beds nationally. Of facilities without an ICU, 20 (83.3%) care for critically ill patients in the emergency department. There is capacity to ventilate 62 patients nationally within ICUs and six patients outside of the ICU. One-third of facilities with ICUs report formal critical care training for their physicians. Only five facilities met criteria for a Level 1 ICU as defined by the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine. Self-identified barriers to providing more effective critical care services include lack of physical space for critically ill patients, lack of equipment, and few formally trained physicians and nurses.ConclusionsDespite a high demand for critical care services in Haiti, current capacity remains insufficient to meet need. A significant amount of critical care in Haiti is provided outside of the ICU, highlighting the important overlap between emergency and critical care medicine in LMICs. Many ICUs in Haiti lack basic components for critical care delivery. Streamlining critical care services through protocol development, education, and training may improve important clinical outcomes.

Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis: Patterns of Epidemiology and Outcomes of Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Texas, 2008 - 2016.

BackgroundPatients with herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) often require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and have considerably worse outcomes than those not critically ill. The short-term outcomes of critically ill patients in the general population have markedly improved over the past decades. However, the population-level patterns of demand for critical care services among patients with HSVE have not been examined, and it is unknown whether there were corresponding outcome gains among those admitted to the ICU.MethodsThe Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File was used to identify hospitalizations with HSVE aged ≥ 18 years during 2008 - 2016. ICU admissions were identified using unit-specific revenue codes. The patterns of ICU utilization and those of short-term outcomes (with short-term mortality defined as in-hospital death or discharge to hospice) were examined across demographic strata and over time.ResultsAmong 1,964 hospitalizations with HSVE, 1,176 (59.9%) were admitted to ICU (45.8% aged ≥ 65 years; 53.1% female, among ICU admissions). ICU utilization increased with age (from 47.9% (age 18 - 44 years) through 61.2% (older adults (age ≥ 65 years)); P = 0.0003 for trend), and increased over time only among older adults (odds ratio: 1.06/year (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01 - 1.12)). Among ICU admissions, routine home discharge, transfer to a post-acute care facility, and short-term mortality occurred in 26.8%, 39.5%, and 18.7%, respectively; the corresponding outcomes for older adults were 10.6%, 51.4%, and 26.2%, respectively. The outcomes for the whole cohort of ICU admissions remained unchanged over time.ConclusionsAdults with HSVE had high demand for critical care services, and those admitted to ICU had high short-term mortality and substantial residual morbidity among survivors, which remained unchanged over time. These findings can inform clinicians’ decision-making and discussions about goals of care with affected patients and their surrogates.

Evidence-Based Review and Discussion Points

Evidence-Based Review and Discussion Points

Ten-year trends in intensive care admissions for respiratory infections in the elderly

BackgroundThe consequences of the ageing population concerning ICU hospitalisation need to be adequately described. We believe that this discussion should be disease specific. A focus on respiratory infections is of particular interest, because it is strongly associated with old age. Our objective was to assess trends in demographics over a decade among elderly patients admitted to the ICU for acute respiratory infections.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed between 2006 and 2015 based on hospital discharge databases in one French region (2.5 million inhabitants). Patients with acute respiratory infection were selected according to the specific ICD-10 diagnosis codes recorded, including acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We also identified comorbid conditions based on any significant ICD-10 secondary diagnoses adapted from the Charlson and Elixhauser indexes.ResultsA total of 98,381 hospital stays for acute respiratory infection were identified among the 3,856,785 stays over the 10-year period. The number of patients 75 y/o and younger increased 1.6-fold from 2006 to 2015, whereas the numbers of patients aged 85–89 and ≥ 90 y/o increased by 2.5- and 2.1-fold, respectively. Both CAP and AECOPD hospitalisations significantly increased for all age groups over the decade. ICU hospitalisations for respiratory infection increased 2.7-fold from 2006 to 2015 (p = 0.0002). The greatest increases in the use of ICU resources were for the 85–89 and ≥ 90 y/o groups, which corresponded to increases of 3.3- and 5.8-fold. Indeed, the proportion of patients hospitalized for respiratory infection in ICU that were elderly clearly grew during the decade: 11.3% were ≥ 85 y/o in 2006 versus 16.4% in 2015 (p < 0.0001). This increase in ICU hospitalisation rate of ageing patients was not associated with significant changes in the level of care or ICU mortality except for patients ≥ 90 y/o (for whom ICU mortality dropped from 40.9 to 22.3%, p = 0.03).ConclusionWe observed a substantial increase in acute respiratory infection diagnoses associated with hospitalisation between 2006 and 2015, with a growing demand for critical care services. Both the absolute number and the percentage of elderly patient ICU admissions increased over the last decade, with the greatest increases being observed for patients 85 years and older.

Epidemiology, Characteristics, and Outcomes of ICU-Managed Homeless Patients: A Population-Based Study.

Background The population-level demand for critical care services among the homeless (H) remains unknown, with only sparse data on the characteristics and outcomes of those managed in the ICU. Methods The Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File and annual federal reports were used to identify H hospitalizations and annual estimates of the H population between 2007 and 2014. The incidence of ICU admissions in the H population, the characteristics of ICU-managed H, and factors associated with their short-term mortality were examined. Results Among 52,206 H hospitalizations 15,553 (29.8%) were admitted to ICU. The incidence of ICU admission among state H population rose between 2007 and 2014 from 28.0 to 96.6/1,000 (p < 0.0001), respectively. Adults aged ≥ 45 years and minorities accounted for 70.2% and 57.6%, respectively, of the growth in volume of ICU admissions. Short-term mortality was 3.2%, with odds of death increased with age, comorbidity burden, and number of failing organs. Conclusions The demand for critical care services was increasingly high among the H and was contrasted by low short-term mortality among ICU admissions. These findings, coupled with the persistent health disparities among minority H, underscore the need to effectively address homelessness and reduce barriers to longitudinal appropriate prehospital care among the H.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) - Managed Elderly Hospitalizations with Dementia in Texas, 2001-2010: A Population-Level Analysis.

BackgroundThe demand for critical care services among elderly with dementia outpaces that of their non-dementia elderly counterparts. However, there are scarce data on the corresponding attributes among ICU-managed patients with dementia.Material/MethodsWe used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to examine temporal trends of the demographics, burden of comorbidities, measures of severity of illness, use of healthcare resources, and short-term outcomes among hospitalizations aged 65 years or older with a reported diagnosis of dementia, who were admitted to ICU (D-ICU hospitalizations) between 2001 and 2010. Average annual percent changes (AAPC) were derived.ResultsD-ICU hospitalizations (n=276,056) had increasing mean (SD) Charlson comorbidity index [1.7 (1.5) vs. 2.6 (1.9)], with reported organ failure (OF) nearly doubling from 25% to 48.5%, between 2001–2001 and 2009–2010, respectively. Use of life support interventions was infrequent, but rose in parallel with corresponding changes in respiratory and renal failure. Median total hospital charges increased from $26,442 to $36,380 between 2001–2002 and 2009–2010. Routine home discharge declined (−5.2%/year [−6.2%– −4.1%]) with corresponding rising use of home health services (+7.2%/year [4.4–10%]). Rates of discharge to another hospital or a nursing facility remained unchanged, together accounting for 60.4% of discharges of hospital survivors in 2010. Transfers to a long-term acute care hospital increased 9.2%/year (6.9–11.5%). Hospital mortality (7.5%) remained unchanged.ConclusionsElderly D-ICU hospitalizations have increasing comorbidity burden, with rising severity of illness, and increasing use of health care resources. Though the majority survived hospitalization, most D-ICU hospitalizations were discharged to another facility.

A surgeon in the ICU: An equal “team-mate” or an “intruder”?

Demand for critical care services is increasing. The role of surgeons in intensive care units (ICUs) provides specific insights and perspectives concerning the care of surgical patients, sometimes not fully appreciated by the non-surgical practitioners caring for these patients. The training and education of surgeons is becoming more complex, fragmented, and lengthy. The knowledge-based skills required to manage critically ill patients are also becoming more extensive. However, surgeons need to spend focused attention on how best to train and educate upcoming surgical trainees in regard to the principles of critical care medicine; educational programmes could be developed for better surgical education within the basic residency and surgical critical care programmes. The critically ill patient needs this focused attention as does the specialty of surgical critical care medicine.

Influence of critical care nurse education and work environment on outcomes of mechanically ventilated older adults

Demand for critical care services is increasing yet a comprehensive understanding of how critical care nurses - the largest group of ICU direct care providers - impact outcomes remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine how critical care nurse education (hospital proportion of bachelor's prepared ICU nurses) and ICU work environment influenced 30-day mortality of mechanically ventilated older adults.

Graduating nursing students’ perceived preparedness for working in critical care areas

This article reports a study examining the relationships between undergraduate students' demographics, educational preparation and clinical experience and their self reported preparedness for employment in critical care. Increasing demand for critical care services internationally, creates a need to grow the critical care nursing workforce. Limited data are available on factors affecting new graduate nurses' career choices. Final year nursing students from a multi-campus Australian University were surveyed during 2009. Over half of the participants were interested in seeking employment in critical care following graduation. Main reasons for choosing critical care nursing were: (i) like varied and challenging work; (ii) opportunities for professional development; and (iii) like working one-on-one with patients. The main barriers identified by participants were related to the lack of knowledge and clinical skills required to work in critical care. Using the 9-item confidence and interest in critical care nursing scale, the study revealed that male participants and those who spent more than 1 week clinical placement in critical care were significantly more likely to report greater confidence and interest in seeking employment in critical care areas. The value of placing nursing students in critical care areas for more than 1 week during undergraduate clinical placements is affirmed. Whilst most final year students report feeling prepared to work in critical care areas, the next step is to explore the transition of students as new graduates in critical care to identify professional and educational issues that impact on their retention.

Book Review: Core Topics in Critical Care Medicine. Fang Gao Smith, Joyce Yeung, editors. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2010. Hard cover, 408 pages, illustrated, $99.

There is a growing demand for critical care services as the population ages and the average severity of illness of hospitalized patients increases. Despite a movement toward intensivist-managed care of intensive care unit (ICU) patients, such as the Leapfrog Group initiative, the majority of ICU