The use of post-anaesthesia care units as a supply of ICU beds while maintaining scheduled surgery: A cross-sectional web-based feasibility survey in France

• Published in: Journal of clinical anesthesia Vol. 71; p. 110244
• Main Authors: Clavier, Thomas, Bruckert, Vincent, Abraham, Paul, Capdevila, Mathieu, James, Arthur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2021; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Anesthesiology; Coronaviruses; Correspondence; COVID-19; Critical care; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epidemics; Feasibility Studies; France; Hospitals; Human health and pathology; Humans; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units; Internet; Life Sciences; Nurses; Pandemics; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Surgery; Ventilators; France
• ISSN: 0952-8180; 1873-4529
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2021.110244

Since PACUs are often open wards, it could be considered suboptimal and not safe to offer PACU beds to contagious COVID-19 patients. [...]each survey respondent was asked how many non-COVID patients requiring critical care could be admitted in her/his PACU without impacting the operating room schedule. [...]their estimation was based on their PACU bed occupancy rate during non-pandemic periods. 677 surveys have been sent to head of department of anaesthesiology of hospitals where an ICU or intermediate care unit and a PACU are present. 225 of them (33%) responded. [...]a strategy allowing a quick increase in ICU surge capacity based on selected PACU beds appears feasible in France without impacting scheduled surgery.Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing conflict of interest.Acknowledgements Authors thank the French Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, The National Professional Council for Anaesthesia-Resuscitation and Peri-Operative Medicine and the National College of Anaesthesia and Resuscitation Teachers for their invaluable support.