Respiratory failure & ventilation
Strain on the ICU resources and patient outcomes in the COVID-19 pandemic: A Swedish national registry cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Pressure on ICU resources was associated with more invasive respiratory support, indicating that during these times, ICU resources were reserved for sicker patients.
Study context
- Population
- Patients admitted to Swedish ICUs with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19, Swedish Intensive Care Register, March 2020 to November 2021
- Participants
- 7,969 patients
- Exposure
- Pressure on ICU resources and organ support and mortality
- Outcome
- Organ support (mechanical ventilation, NIV, high-flow oxygen therapy, prone positioning, tracheostomy, central venous catheterisation, CRRT, intermittent haemodialysis), discharge at night, re-admission, transfer, ICU and 30-day mortality
Methodological detailsnational, all Swedish ICUs
- National
- All Swedish ICUs
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of pressure on ICU resources with organ support
- Census and mechanical ventilation, OR
- 1.37 (1.28 to 1.48) (95% CI)
- New admissions and mechanical ventilation, OR
- 1.44 (1.13 to 1.84) (95% CI)
- Census and NIV, OR
- 0.83 (0.77 to 0.89) (95% CI)
- New admissions and NIV, OR
- 0.40 (0.30 to 52) (95% CI)
- Census and high-flow oxygen therapy, OR
- 0.72 (0.67 to 0.77) (95% CI)
- New admissions and high-flow oxygen therapy, OR
- 0.77 (0.61 to 0.97) (95% CI)
- Occupancy >90% of available beds and high-flow oxygen therapy, OR
- 1.36 (1.21 to 1.53) (95% CI)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Transfer, discharge at night, ICU and 30-day mortality
- All measures of pressure on resources associated with transfer to other hospitals
- None associated with discharge at night, ICU mortality or 30-day mortality
ICU resource use
- Median daily census, % of habitual census
- 167%
- Daily new admissions, % of habitual census
- 20%
- Median occupancy
- 82%
- Median age, years
- 63
- Men
- 70%
Original publication
Strain on the ICU resources and patient outcomes in the COVID-19 pandemic: A Swedish national registry cohort study. Eur J Anaesthesiol. Published 27 September 2022. doi:10.
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