Reorganizing the respiratory high dependency unit for pandemics.
Juan Fernando MasaMaxime PatoutRaffaele ScalaJoao Carlos WinckPublished in: Expert review of respiratory medicine (2021)
It seems clear that a reorganization and optimization of the care of patients with severe COVID-19 is necessary, minimizing admissions to the ICU and facilitating an early discharge. During the pandemic, several hospitals have spontaneously created new RHDUs or extended preexisting RHDUs or up-graded respiratory wards in order to receive less sick patients requiring lower levels of monitoring and nurse-to-patient ratios. This article reviews under a European expert perspective this topic and proposes an adaptation and optimization of the RHDUs to meet the emergent needs caused by the pandemic emphasizing the role of the expert application of noninvasive respiratory therapies in preventing intubation and ICU access.
Keyphrases
- coronavirus disease
- sars cov
- end stage renal disease
- intensive care unit
- healthcare
- ejection fraction
- chronic kidney disease
- mechanical ventilation
- primary care
- peritoneal dialysis
- newly diagnosed
- clinical practice
- respiratory tract
- quality improvement
- cardiac arrest
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- systematic review
- early onset
- pain management