Implementation and evaluation of sepsis surveillance and decision support in medical ICU and emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the timely diagnosis and treatment of sepsis many institutions implemented automated sepsis alerts. Poor specificity, time delays, and a lack of actionable information lead to limited adoption by bedside clinicians and no change in practice or clinical outcomes. We aimed to compare sepsis care compliance before and after a multi-year implementation of a sepsis surveillance coupled with decision support in a tertiary care center. DESIGN: Single center before and after study. SETTING: Large academic Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Emergency Department (ED). POPULATION: Patients 18 years of age or older admitted to *** Hospital MICU and ED from 09/4/2011 to 05/01/2018 with severe sepsis or septic shock. INTERVENTIONS: Electronic medical record-based sepsis surveillance system augmented by clinical decision support and completion feedback. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were 1950 patients admitted to the MICU with the diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock during the study period. The baseline characteristics were similar before (N = 854) and after (N = 1096) implementation of sepsis surveillance. The performance of the alert was modest with a sensitivity of 79.9%, specificity of 76.9%, positive predictive value (PPV) 27.9%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 97.2%. There were 3424 unique alerts and 1131 confirmed sepsis patients after the sniffer implementation. During the study period average care bundle compliance was higher; however after taking into account improvements in compliance leading up to the intervention, there was no association between intervention and improved care bundle compliance (Odds ratio: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.89; p-value 0.554). Similarly, the intervention was not associated with improvement in hospital mortality (Odds ratio: 1.55; 95% CI: 0.95 to 2.52; p-value: 0.078). CONCLUSIONS: A sepsis surveillance system incorporating decision support or completion feedback was not associated with improved sepsis care and patient outcomes.

Alocação de leitos em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva na pandemia covid-19: critérios de priorização / Bed allocation in Intensive Care Unit: prioritization criteria

A pandemia do novo coronavírus - COVID-19 - trouxe à população mundial diversos desafios, entre eles, a necessidade de gestão de recursos em saúde. Nos picos mais graves da pandemia, que ocorreu antes da campanha vacinal completa, nos anos de 2020 e 2021, os serviços de saúde depararam-se com escassez de recursos, especialmente a insuficiência de leitos em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) para o atendimento da alta demanda de infectados que apresentavam quadros graves da doença. Esse cenário desencadeou a necessidade do estabelecimento de protocolos para a priorização de pacientes. Por meio deste estudo analisou-se a capacidade preditiva da Recomendação da AMIB/ABRAMEDE, SBGG e ANCP de alocação de recursos em esgotamento durante a pandemia por COVID-19 - nessa pesquisa chamada de Recomendação AMIB/ABRAMEDE - e do escore SOFA, através de uma pesquisa coorte retrospectiva nos prontuários de 251 pacientes com infecção respiratória aguda decorrente do COVID-19, internados no pronto-socorro do maior hospital referência para COVID-19 no Brasil durante a pandemia. A Recomendação AMIB/ABRAMEDE apresentou na amostra capacidade preditiva para o evento recuperação/sobrevivência (especificidade = 0.87) e menor sensibilidade para o evento óbito (sensibilidade = 0.58). Não houve equilíbrio entre especificidade e sensibilidade no modelo. O SOFA aplicado isoladamente na amostra apresentou capacidade preditiva para o evento óbito (sensibilidade = 0.79) e menor especificidade para o evento recuperação/sobrevivência (especificidade = 0.64). O fator faixa etária demonstrou que a cada ano vivido aumenta 4,7% a chance de óbito na amostra. Por fim, as comorbidades, de forma isolada, não apresentaram impacto no prognóstico, com ressalva para as doenças neurológicas.

The new coronavirus - COVID-19 - pandemic brought miscellaneous challenges to the population worldwide, among which, the need for management of health resources. During the severe peaks of the pandemic, which took place before the vaccine campaign, in years 2020 and 2021, healthcare services faced a shortage of resources, especially insufficient vacancies in Intensive Care Units (ICU) to meet the high demand of infected patients whose disease was severe. Such scenario gave rise to the need of establishing protocols for patient prioritizing. This study analyzed the predictive capacity of the Recommendation by AMIB/ABRAMEDE, SBGG and ANCP for allocation of resources threatened with shortage during the COVID-19 pandemics - referred to as (Recommendation AMIB/ABRAMEDE) and SOFA score, by means of a retrospective cohort research with 250 patients suffering from acute respiratory infection resulting from COVID-19, admitted to the emergency room of the largest reference hospital for COVID-19 in Brazil during the pandemic. Recommendation AMIB/ABRAMEDE showed in the sample a predictive ability for the recovery/survival event (specificity = 0.87), but low performance in relation to the predictive ability regarding the death event (sensitivity = 0.58). There was no balance between specificity and sensitivity in the model. The SOFA applied in isolation to the sample showed predictive ability as regards the death event (sensitivity = 0.79) and lower performance as regards the recovery/survival event (specificity = 0.64). The age group factor showed that ever year of life increases by 4.7% the chance of death in the sample. Finally, comorbidity, by itself, does not show to have an impact on prognosis, except for neurological diseases.

Modifiable risk factors of ventilator-associated pneumonia in non-intensive care unit versus intensive care unit.

INTRODUCTION: Ventilator-associated pneumonia patients are treated in non-intensive care units because of a shortage of intensive care unit beds in Thailand. Our objective was to assess whether the type of unit and medications prescribed to the patient were associated with ventilator­associated pneumonia and multidrug resistant ventilator­associated pneumonia. METHODOLOGY: A matched case-control study nested in a prospective cohort of mechanical ventilation adult patients in a medical-surgical intensive care unit and five non-intensive care units from March 1 through October 31, 2013. The controls were randomly selected 1:1 with cases and matched based on duration and start date of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: 248 ventilator-associated pneumonia and control patients were analyzed. The most common bacteria were multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (82.4%). Compared with patients in the intensive care unit, those in the neurosurgical/surgical non-intensive care units were at higher risk (p = 0.278). Proton pump inhibitor was a risk factor (p = 0.011), but antibiotic was a protective factor (p = 0.054). Broad spectrum antibiotic was a risk factor (p < 0.001) for multidrug resistant ventilator-associated pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Post-surgical and neurosurgical patients treated in non-intensive care unit settings were at the highest risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Our findings suggest that alternative using proton pump inhibitors should be considered based on the risk-benefit of using this medication. In addition, careful stewardship of antibiotic use should be warranted to prevent multidrug resistant ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Determinants of hospital inefficiency. The case of Polish county hospitals.

Local hospitals play a crucial role in the healthcare system. In this study, the efficiency of Polish county hospitals is assessed by considering characteristics of hospitals that may determine their performance, such as the form of ownership, size, and staff structure. The main goal was to analyze the effect of three possible determinants on efficiency: ownership, the presence of an Emergency Department, and the presence of an Intensive Care Unit. The study covered different subgroups of hospitals and different approaches of inputs and outputs. An input-oriented radial super-efficiency DEA model under variable returns to scale was used for the efficiency analysis, and then differences between distributions of efficient and inefficient units were evaluated using a Chi-square test. A Kruskal-Wallis test was also used to analyze differences in mean efficiency. Inefficiency scores were regressed with hospital characteristics to test for other determinants. These results did not confirm differences in efficiency concerning ownership. However, in some subgroups of hospitals, running an Emergency Department or an Intensive Care Unit had a significant effect. Tobit regression results provided additional insight into how an Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit can affect efficiency. Both cases had an effect of increasing inefficiency, and the data suggested that the department/unit size plays an important role.

Design of COVID-19 staged alert systems to ensure healthcare capacity with minimal closures.

Community mitigation strategies to combat COVID-19, ranging from healthy hygiene to shelter-in-place orders, exact substantial socioeconomic costs. Judicious implementation and relaxation of restrictions amplify their public health benefits while reducing costs. We derive optimal strategies for toggling between mitigation stages using daily COVID-19 hospital admissions. With public compliance, the policy triggers ensure adequate intensive care unit capacity with high probability while minimizing the duration of strict mitigation measures. In comparison, we show that other sensible COVID-19 staging policies, including France's ICU-based thresholds and a widely adopted indicator for reopening schools and businesses, require overly restrictive measures or trigger strict stages too late to avert catastrophic surges. As proof-of-concept, we describe the optimization and maintenance of the staged alert system that has guided COVID-19 policy in a large US city (Austin, Texas) since May 2020. As cities worldwide face future pandemic waves, our findings provide a robust strategy for tracking COVID-19 hospital admissions as an early indicator of hospital surges and enacting staged measures to ensure integrity of the health system, safety of the health workforce, and public confidence.

Surgical Residents at the Forefront of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives on Redeployment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many of us to re-evaluate our approaches to disaster management, reflect on our experiences, and be reminded of the strong resolve for our work. This article details a resident's perspective on redeployment of surgical residents to the COVID-19 frontline setting, using the example of the COVID-19 intensive care unit. Redeployment during a pandemic brings the unique opportunity to collaborate with colleagues on the frontlines and learn alongside one another about the evolving management of this disease. During this ongoing pandemic, it is incumbent upon us as clinicians to work together in a multidisciplinary manner and reflect on ways this pandemic impacts the delivery of patient care.

Allocation of Respirators in the Coronavirus Crisis in Israel: An Ethical Analysis and A Scheme for Triage.

BACKGROUND: This focus article is a theoretical reflection on the ethics of allocating respirators to patients in circumstances of shortage, especially during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Israel. In this article, respirators are placeholders for similar life-saving modalities in short supply, such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines and intensive care unit beds. In the article, I propose a system of triage for circumstances of scarcity of respirators. The system separates the hopeless from the curable, granting every treatable person a real chance of cure. The scarcity situation eliminates excesses of medicine, and then allocates respirators by a single scale, combining an evidence-based scoring system with risk-proportionate lottery. The triage proposed embodies continuity and consistency with the healthcare practices in ordinary times. Yet, I suggest two regulatory modifications: one in relation to expediting review of novel and makeshift solutions and the second in relation to mandatory retrospective research on all relevant medical data and standard (as opposed to experimental) interventions that are influenced by the triage.

UTI no estado de Goiás: estudo de suficiência: relatório resumido / ICU in the state of Goiás: sufficiency study: summary report

Objetivo de propiciar aos gestores a realização de uma programação de internações/leitos mais coerente com as reais necessidades da população do estado de Goiás. Estudo exploratório, com bases de dados secundários e foco no aprofundamento da percepção de determinados cálculos/medidas não demonstrados/elucidados na portaria. Período do estudo: 2014 a 2020.Sistema de Informações/Softwares Utilizados: SIH/SUS; ANS, SCNES, SINASC, Projeção populacional do IMB. Softwares utilizados: TabWin, Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, WPS Office, Google Drive, Power BI, GitLab, Java. Indicadores previstos: nº de internações e leitos esperados, gerais e de UTI. Os dados considerados neste estudo foram coletados antes do período da pandemia da Covid-19, os leitos dedicados ao enfretamento da pandemia não foram incorporados nas análises. Apresenta os principais resultados para o período analisado no Brasil e em Goiás referentes a estabelecimentos de saúde/leitos, os resultados apurados para o Estado de Goiás em relação aos leitos gerais SUS e não SUS por especialidade, leitos de UTI SUS e não SUS por especialidade, a faixa de variação de leitos gerais e de UTI/SUS preconizados pela Portaria 1.101/2002. Os leitos gerais e UTI SUS por especialidade, para Goiânia. Após os ajustes na metodologia para a obtenção dos dados necessários à implementação das fórmulas da portaria, desenvolveu-se um protótipo de simulador para identificação dos milhares de cenários possíveis para a programação de internações e leitos, gerais e de UTI, em esfera estadual, de conformidade ao exemplo contido no item 3 deste relatório

Objective of providing managers with a schedule of admissions/beds more consistent with the real needs of the population of the state of Goiás. Exploratory study, with secondary databases and focus on deepening the perception of certain calculations/measures not demonstrated/elucidated at the gatehouse. Study period: 2014 to 2020. Information System/Software Used: SIH/SUS; ANS, SCNES, SINASC, IMB population projection. Software used: TabWin, Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, WPS Office, Google Drive, Power BI, GitLab, Java. Expected indicators: number of hospitalizations and expected beds, general and ICU. The data considered in this study were collected before the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, the beds dedicated to dealing with the pandemic were not incorporated in the analyses. It presents the main results for the period analyzed in Brazil and Goiás referring to health establishments/beds, the results obtained for the State of Goiás in relation to general SUS and non-SUS beds by specialty, SUS and non-SUS ICU beds by specialty , the range of variation of general beds and ICU/SUS recommended by Ordinance 1,101/2002. General beds and SUS ICU by specialty, for Goiânia. After adjustments in the methodology to obtain the data necessary to implement the ordinance formulas, a simulator prototype was developed to identify the thousands of possible scenarios for the programming of hospitalizations and beds, general and ICU, at the state level, of conformity to the example contained in item 3 of this report

Coletiva de imprensa: anúncio do Governo - 10/02/2021

O Governador João Doria anunciou nesta quarta-feira (10) o início da imunização de idosos com idade entre 80 e 84 anos para o dia 1º de março em todo o estado de São Paulo. Ele também confirmou a vacinação antecipada do grupo de 85 a 89 anos para a próxima sexta (12), três dias antes do previsto. “Com a chegada de mais insumos para a produção da vacina do Butantan, o estado de São Paulo começa no dia 1º de março a vacinar todos os idosos acima de 80 anos de idade”, disse Doria. “São boas notícias para aumentar nossa esperança, perspectiva de proteção à vida e também nos dar um alento em meio a tantas notícias tristes de perdas e de contaminações”, acrescentou. A vacinação contra o coronavírus começou no dia 17 de janeiro, na capital paulista, logo após a aprovação emergencial da Anvisa (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) ao imunizante do Instituto Butantan. Até o início da tarde desta quarta, pouco mais de 1 milhão de pessoas já tinham sido vacinadas em todo o estado. O público-alvo de 80 a 84 anos totaliza 563 mil pessoas nos 645 municípios de São Paulo. Os idosos desta faixa etária poderão ser imunizados com parte das 8,7 milhões de novas doses da vacina do Butantan, que serão produzidas com insumos que chegaram ao Brasil na manhã desta quarta. Já os 309 mil idosos de 85 a 89 anos poderão receber vacinas a partir desta sexta. A agilidade na logística da Secretaria de Estado da Saúde permitiu a antecipação da campanha. Em 24 horas de trabalho, a pasta conclui nesta quarta o envio de mais de 900 mil doses da vacina do Butantan a todas as regiões do estado. A medida também permite que os municípios comecem a oferecer a segunda dose da imunização a grupos que já tomaram a vacina do Butantan desde janeiro – profissionais da saúde, indígenas e quilombolas, além de idosos acima de 60 anos e pessoas com deficiência a partir de 18 anos que vivem em instituições de longa permanência. Assim que o Ministério da Saúde assegurar novos repasses de vacina a São Paulo, o Governo do Estado irá divulgar as próximas etapas do cronograma e respectivos públicos-alvo da campanha de vacinação contra a COVID-19. O Governo de São Paulo incentiva o pré-cadastramento de idosos aptos à imunização no site vacinaja.sp.gov.br. O registro online garante mais facilidade e rapidez à campanha de imunização, pois economiza 90% no tempo de atendimento individual nos postos da vacinação. O preenchimento dos dados no site Vacina Já leva de um a três minutos. Já no atendimento presencial, a coleta de informações leva cerca de 10 minutos. O pré-cadastro não é obrigatório e também não é um agendamento, mas contribui para evitar aglomerações nos postos. O registro dos dados no Vacina Já é gratuito, seguro e confidencial.

Hospital bed capacity and usage across secondary healthcare providers in England during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive analysis.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we describe the pattern of bed occupancy across England during the peak of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Descriptive survey. SETTING: All non-specialist secondary care providers in England from 27 March27to 5 June 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Acute (non-specialist) trusts with a type 1 (ie, 24 hours/day, consultant-led) accident and emergency department (n=125), Nightingale (field) hospitals (n=7) and independent sector secondary care providers (n=195). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Two thresholds for 'safe occupancy' were used: 85% as per the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and 92% as per NHS Improvement. RESULTS: At peak availability, there were 2711 additional beds compatible with mechanical ventilation across England, reflecting a 53% increase in capacity, and occupancy never exceeded 62%. A consequence of the repurposing of beds meant that at the trough there were 8.7% (8508) fewer general and acute beds across England, but occupancy never exceeded 72%. The closest to full occupancy of general and acute bed (surge) capacity that any trust in England reached was 99.8% . For beds compatible with mechanical ventilation there were 326 trust-days (3.7%) spent above 85% of surge capacity and 154 trust-days (1.8%) spent above 92%. 23 trusts spent a cumulative 81 days at 100% saturation of their surge ventilator bed capacity (median number of days per trust=1, range: 1-17). However, only three sustainability and transformation partnerships (aggregates of geographically co-located trusts) reached 100% saturation of their mechanical ventilation beds. CONCLUSIONS: Throughout the first wave of the pandemic, an adequate supply of all bed types existed at a national level. However, due to an unequal distribution of bed utilisation, many trusts spent a significant period operating above 'safe-occupancy' thresholds despite substantial capacity in geographically co-located trusts, a key operational issue to address in preparing for future waves.

Mortality and renal outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 treated in a provisional intensive care unit.

COVID-19 has created an enormous health crisis and this spring New York City had a severe outbreak that pushed health and critical care resources to the limit. A lack of adequate space for mechanically ventilated patients induced our hospital to convert operating rooms into critical care areas (OR-ICU). A large number of COVID-19 will develop acute kidney injury that requires renal replacement therapy (RRT). We included 116 patients with COVID-19 who required mechanical ventilation and were cared for in our OR-ICU. At 90 days and at discharge 35 patients died (30.2%). RRT was required by 45 of the 116 patients (38.8%) and 18 of these 45 patients (40%) compared to 17 with no RRT (23.9%, ns) died during hospitalization and after 90 days. Only two of the 27 patients who required RRT and survived required RRT at discharge and 90 days. When defining renal recovery as a discharge serum creatinine within 150% of baseline, 68 of 78 survivors showed renal recovery (87.2%). Survival was similar to previous reports of patients with severe COVID-19 for patients cared for in provisional ICUs compared to standard ICUs. Most patients with severe COVID-19 and AKI are likely to recover full renal function.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac surgery and transplant services in Ireland's National Centre.

BACKGROUND: Irish health services have been repurposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Critical care services have been re-focused on the management of COVID-19 patients. This presents a major challenge for specialities such as cardiothoracic surgery that are reliant on intensive care unit (ICU) resources. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activity at the cardiothoracic surgical care at the National Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplant Centre. METHODS: A comparison was performed of cardiac surgery and transplant caseload for the first 4 months of 2019 and 2020 using data collected prospectively on a customised digital database. RESULTS: Cardiac surgery activity fell over the study period but was most impacted in March and April 2020. Operative activity fell to 49% of the previous years' activity for March and April 2020. Surgical acuity changed with 61% of all cases performed as inpatient transfers after cardiology admission in contrast with a 40% rate in 2019. Valve surgery continued at 89% of the expected rate; coronary artery bypass surgery was performed at 61% of the expected rate and major aortic surgery at 22%. Adult congenital heart cases were not performed in March or April 2020. One heart and one lung transplant were performed in this period. CONCLUSIONS: In March and April of 2020, the spread of COVID-19 and the resultant focus on its management resulted in a reduction in cardiothoracic surgery service delivery.

Mechanical-Ventilation Supply and Options for the COVID-19 Pandemic. Leveraging All Available Resources for a Limited Resource in a Crisis.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has exposed critical supply shortages both in the United States and worldwide, including those in intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital bed supply, hospital staff, and mechanical ventilators. Many of those who are critically ill have required days to weeks of supportive invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) as part of their treatment. Previous estimates set the U.S. availability of mechanical ventilators at approximately 62,000 full-featured ventilators, with 98,000 non-full-featured devices (including noninvasive devices). Given the limited availability of this resource both in the United States and in low- and middle-income countries, we provide a framework to approach the shortage of IMV resources. Here we discuss evidence and possibilities to reduce overall IMV needs, discuss strategies to maximize the availability of IMV devices designed for invasive ventilation, discuss the underlying methods in the literature to create and fashion new sources of potential ventilation that are available to hospitals and front-line providers, and discuss the staffing needs necessary to support IMV efforts. The pandemic has already pushed cities like New York and Boston well beyond previous ICU capacity in its first wave. As hot spots continue to develop around the country and the globe, it is evident that issues may arise ahead regarding the efficient and equitable use of resources. This unique challenge may continue to stretch resources and require care beyond previously set capacities and boundaries. The approaches presented here provide a review of the known evidence and strategies for those at the front line who are facing this challenge.

Critical care medicine in the French Territories in the Americas: Current situation and prospects / La medicina intensiva en los territorios franceses de la Región de las Américas: situación actual y perspectivas / Medicina intensiva nos territórios ultramarinos franceses nas Américas: situação atual e perspectivas

ABSTRACT Hospitals in the French Territories in the Americas (FTA) work according to international and French standards. This paper aims to describe different aspects of critical care in the FTA. For this, we reviewed official information about population size and intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity in the FTA and literature on FTA ICU specificities. Persons living in or visiting the FTA are exposed to specific risks, mainly severe road traffic injuries, envenoming, stab or ballistic wounds, and emergent tropical infectious diseases. These diseases may require specific knowledge and critical care management. However, there are not enough ICU beds in the FTA. Indeed, there are 7.2 ICU beds/100 000 population in Guadeloupe, 7.2 in Martinique, and 4.5 in French Guiana. In addition, seriously ill patients in remote areas regularly have to be transferred, most often by helicopter, resulting in a delay in admission to intensive care. The COVID-19 crisis has shown that the health care system in the FTA is unready to face such an epidemic and that intensive care bed capacity must be increased. In conclusion, the critical care sector in the FTA requires upgrading of infrastructure, human resources, and equipment as well as enhancement of multidisciplinary care. Also needed are promotion of training, research, and regional and international medical and scientific cooperation.

RESUMEN Los hospitales en los territorios franceses de la Región de las Américas funcionan según las normas francesas e internacionales. El objetivo de este artículo es describir distintos aspectos de los cuidados intensivos en los territorios franceses. Para ello, hemos revisado los datos oficiales sobre el tamaño de la población y el número de camas de las unidades de cuidados intensivos (UCI), así como la bibliografía sobre algunos aspectos específicos de las UCI, en los territorios franceses. Las personas que viven en los territorios franceses, o que están de visita en ellos, están expuestas a riesgos específicos: principalmente traumatismos graves causados por el tránsito, envenenamiento por mordeduras, heridas de bala o por apuñalamiento, y enfermedades infecciosas tropicales emergentes. La atención de estos traumatismos y enfermedades puede requerir conocimientos específicos y cuidados intensivos. Sin embargo, no hay suficientes camas de UCI en los territorios franceses. De hecho, hay 7,2 camas de UCI por 100 000 habitantes en Guadalupe, 7,2 en Martinica y 4,5 en Guayana Francesa. Además, los pacientes gravemente enfermos que viven en zonas remotas a menudo tienen que ser trasladados, normalmente por helicóptero, lo que retrasa su ingreso en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. La crisis de la COVID-19 ha puesto de manifiesto que el sistema de atención de salud en los territorios franceses no está preparado para enfrentarse a una epidemia de estas dimensiones y que debe aumentarse la capacidad hospitalaria de las unidades de cuidados intensivos. En conclusión, el sector de los cuidados intensivos en los territorios franceses tiene que mejorar su infraestructura, recursos humanos y equipamiento, así como perfeccionar la atención multidisciplinaria. También es necesario promover la capacitación, la investigación y la cooperación médica y científica, tanto regional como internacional.

RESUMO Os hospitais nos territórios ultramarinos franceses nas Américas funcionam segundo os padrões franceses e internacionais. O objetivo deste artigo é descrever os diversos aspectos da atenção intensiva nesta região. Analisamos os dados oficiais relativos ao tamanho da população e ao número de leitos de unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI) nestes territórios junto com uma revisão da literatura científica sobre as características particulares destes centros de terapia intensiva. Os residentes locais ou visitantes dos territórios ultramarinos franceses nas Américas são expostos a riscos específicos, sobretudo acidentes de trânsito graves, envenenamentos por animais peçonhentos, ferimentos por armas brancas ou armas de fogo e doenças infecciosas tropicais emergentes que requerem conhecimento especializado e atenção intensiva. Porém, não há leitos suficientes de UTI nos territórios ultramarinos franceses nas Américas: são 7,2 leitos de UTI por 100.000 habitantes em Guadalupe, 7,2 na Martinica e 4,5 na Guiana Francesa. Ademais, em áreas remotas, os pacientes em estado crítico frequentemente precisam ser transferidos por helicóptero, o que causa demora na internação em UTI. A crise da COVID-19 demonstra o despreparo do sistema de saúde para enfrentar a pandemia e a necessidade de aumentar o número de leitos de UTI nestes territórios. Em conclusão, é imprescindível modernizar a infraestrutura e os equipamentos, capacitar melhor os recursos humanos e melhorar a atenção multidisciplinar. Incentivar a formação profissional, pesquisa e cooperação médico-científica regional e mundial é também fundamental.

PAHO information session for the press on COVID-19 - December 9, 2020

PAHO information session for the press on COVID-19 - December 9, 2020 - audio english

Sesión virtual informativa de la OPS sobre COVID-19

Sesión virtual informativa de la OPS sobre COVID-19 / PAHO’s press briefing on COVID-19 - audio floor

Conferencia de prensa OPS COVID-19 - 9 de diciembre 2020

Conferencia de Prensa OPS COVID-19 9 de diciembre 2020 - audio español