Changes in the number of intensive care unit beds in US hospitals during the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Lindsey M. Weiner-Lastinger, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Margaret A. Dudeck, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Katherine Allen-Bridson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Raymund Dantes, Emory University; Cindy Gross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Allan Nkwata, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sheri Chernetsky Tejedor, Emory University; Daniel Pollock, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Andrea Benin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-06-03
• Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2021
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ice.2021.266
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
• Start Page: 1
• End Page: 5
• Grant/Funding Information: No financial support was provided relevant to this article.
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Infectious Diseases; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Using data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), we assessed changes to intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in capacity varied by hospital type and size. ICU beds increased by 36%, highlighting the pressure placed on hospitals during the pandemic.