Contingency plan for the intensive care services for the COVID-19 pandemic

Med Intensiva (Engl Ed). 2020 Aug-Sep;44(6):363-370. doi: 10.1016/j.medin.2020.03.006. Epub 2020 Apr 23.
[Article in English, Spanish]

Abstract

In January 2020, the Chinese authorities identified a new virus of the Coronaviridae family as the cause of several cases of pneumonia of unknown aetiology. The outbreak was initially confined to Wuhan City, but then spread outside Chinese borders. On 31 January 2020, the first case was declared in Spain. On 11 March 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. On 16 March 2020, there were 139 countries affected. In this situation, the Scientific Societies SEMICYUC and SEEIUC have decided to draw up this Contingency Plan to guide the response of the Intensive Care Services. The objectives of this plan are to estimate the magnitude of the problem and identify the necessary human and material resources. This is to provide the Spanish Intensive Medicine Services with a tool to programme optimal response strategies.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pandemia; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control
  • Coronavirus Infections / therapy*
  • Critical Care / organization & administration*
  • Critical Care / standards
  • Cross Infection / prevention & control
  • Health Resources / organization & administration
  • Humans
  • Information Dissemination / methods
  • Intensive Care Units / organization & administration
  • Needs Assessment / organization & administration*
  • Needs Assessment / statistics & numerical data
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • Patient Admission / standards
  • Personal Protective Equipment / standards
  • Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control
  • Pneumonia, Viral / therapy*
  • Resource Allocation / methods
  • Resource Allocation / organization & administration
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Software
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Staff Development / organization & administration