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After there are already fears in some federal states that the rapid increase in the number of new corona infections in Austria could lead to supply problems in hospitals, intensive care doctors also warned about this on Wednesday. According to experts, in summer, potential bottlenecks had already been identified in the supply of intensive care.
In Austria, hospitalization and occupancy rates in intensive care units have increased rapidly due to Covid-19 diseases. Four weeks ago a total of 469 patients with Covid-19 were in the hospital and 88 of them were in intensive care, two weeks ago there were 654 and 112 and until Tuesday even 1,400 and 203 respectively. Thus, the figures have changed since the beginning of September almost ten times.
Supply of bottlenecks in intensive care medicine
The fact that, in view of the further increase in the number of infections and such increasing rates, there is still occasionally talk of a relaxed situation when it comes to intensive care is incomprehensible to experts in intensive care medicine. “Unfortunately, we are increasingly moving towards a situation that we, along with other specialized societies, have constantly warned about since the summer,” said Klaus Markstaller, president of the Austrian Society for Anesthesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine (ÖGARI) . “As is clearly shown again in some European countries, many simultaneous Covid-19 diseases place a considerable burden on hospitals and especially intensive care units, even limiting the care capacity of patients with but also without Covid infection -19 can go, “emphasized Markstaller.
This should also be taken into account in the context that even in well-equipped healthcare systems like the Austrian, the routine degree of utilization of intensive resources, without the additional burden of the pandemic, was deliberately very high and no large spare capacity it would have been economically justifiable in terms of personnel or structure. Perhaps not everyone is aware of this, “Markstaller noted.
Strong growth
Experts warned that sharp increases in the number of patients requiring intensive care inevitably mean supply bottlenecks: in a situation where resources are overloaded, there is also a higher rate of preventable deaths, as can already be seen in other European countries. At the same time, this situation has negative consequences for patients with other diseases that do not necessarily need acute care. “No one wants us to have to re-restrict elective interventions, for example, but everyone needs to be aware that this is an almost inevitable consequence of increasing numbers of infections and not, as in the spring of this year, a measure. preventive “. Markstaller stressed. The fact that reports have already been received from several federal states that the limits of their intensive care capacity will soon be reached gives a picture of the real situation in hospitals, according to ÖGARI.
“For all of us this means, as challenging as it may be for the next few months, to implement known preventive measures much more consistently than before, in public and private spaces. Strict hand hygiene, keeping distance, reducing contacts to an absolutely necessary level and mouth. There is no way around protecting the nose, “says Markstaller. The specialized society appealed to policy makers to properly assess the seriousness of the supply situation and not only take the appropriate measures, but also communicate them in an understandable and uniform manner.
Limits of use
The dynamism that the corona pandemic brings with it in the field of occupation of intensive care units is also shown with a look at international figures. According to data from the EU Communicable Disease Authority (ECDC), the number of intensive care patients with Covid-19 increased by 120 percent in Belgium, by 101 percent in the Netherlands and by 150 percent. in Italy between the beginning and the middle of October. There was also a corresponding increase in the number of deaths. In Belgium, the number of deaths from Covid-19 increased from 9,897 (858 per million inhabitants) to 10,899 (945 per million) between the beginning of September and October 27, and in the Netherlands from 6,230 (364 per million) to 7,142 (418 per million). Millions) and in Italy from 35,491 (586 per million) to 37,700 (623 per million). In Austria there were 734 deaths (83 per million) at the beginning of September, currently there are 1,005 (112 per million).
In recent days, bottlenecks in the supply of intensive care medicine have been experienced in several European countries due to the dramatic increase in Covid 19 diseases: some EU partners, including Austria, delivered breathing equipment that was needed. urgently in the Czech Republic. And, as in the spring, the Netherlands has already asked Germany to revert to intensive care patients for capacity reasons.
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