Caring for COVID-19 positive patients in ICU
22 Apr 2020
The most important resource in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is experienced intensive care caregivers who are trained to provide high-quality care for critically ill patients. These are seasoned clinicians, but they are working in a situation that has never been seen before.
What our intensive care unit teams are doing right now, and what they are planning for, is without doubt new, and probably quite daunting for them.
Even though the number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases is looking better by the day, it is inevitable that there will be steps backward and clusters of new cases in the months ahead.
When you look at the facts, it boils down to this: we have never cared for this type, or potential number, of patients in our ICUs before. And we are also learning from the rest of the world that it's not just the number of COVID-19 patients posing a challenge for ICUs — it's how long these patients stay.
COVID-19 patients often need resource-heavy critical care for a week or even more. By contrast, patients in our ICUs are usually there for short periods of one to three days, are often not critical and are not always ventilated.
The length of stay for COVID-19 patients has big implications for resources and equipment such as masks, gowns and ventilators, because it's not just a question of counting patients and how many come in requiring intensive care, it’s that multiplication out of how many days they're need an ICU bed and ventilator, because that's what adds up — and stacks up day after day after day.
We know we have caregivers being inducted and upskilled in critical care nursing to support our ICU teams, but these teams themselves are also being trained. They are practising modified advanced life support and some of the skills required in managing a medical emergency response to a patient with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, as well as the unique elements of every individual’s ICU care.
By nature, their role is intensive. This pandemic brings chaos, disorder and change to a normally very ordered environment. And yet, they continue to put aside their own fears and anxiety and go about their days to ensure they are prepared and calmly ready to take on whatever this virus may throw their way.
To all our ICU and critical care teams, we are indebted to you.
