RT Book, Section
A1 Wunsch, Hannah
A2 Oropello, John M.
A2 Pastores, Stephen M.
A2 Kvetan, Vladimir
SR Print(0)
ID 1136418526
T1 ICU Bed Utilization
T2 Critical Care
YR 1
FD 1
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071820813
LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1136418526
RD 2024/04/16
AB KEY  POINTSThe  lack  of  an  agreed-upon  definition  of  an  ICU  bed  remains  a  barrier  to  understanding  bed  utilization.Small  ICUs  or  systems  of  ICUs  are  at  a  disadvantage  due  to  their  size,  creating  inefficient  use  of  ICU  beds.Availability  of  intermediate-care  beds  may  impact  the  flow  of  patients  into  and  out  of  ICU  beds.The  casemix  of  patients  admitted  to  an  ICU  can  vary  dramatically.  This  may  be  driven  by  the  overall  availability  of  ICU  beds,  but  will  also  be  determined  by  the  casemix  of  patients  in  a  hospital  or  system.Use  of  intensive  care  beds  is  often  driven  by  the  specific  culture  of  a  hospital  regarding  the  “perceived”  need  of  an  individual  patient,  as  well  as  the  larger  cultural  expectations  within  a  given  society.Optimization  of  ICU  bed  use  may  include  decreasing  the  number  of  small  ICUs  operating  separately,  standardizing  criteria  for  admission,  and  increasing  alternate  care  options.