Critical Care Response to COVID-19 Pandemic: Building on the Past to Bridge to the Future

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Michelle Ng Gong, Yeshiva University; Gregory Martin, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-07-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ccc.2022.03.001
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Critical Care Clinics
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: xiii
• End Page: xv
• Keywords: Critical Care; Humans; Pandemics; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology

Abstract

At the end of 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic led to more than 286 million cases and over 5.4 million deaths worldwide. COVID-19 is now the deadliest pandemic in the history of the United States. As we reflect on the last 2 years, it is also clear that the pandemic was a pivotal moment for critical care medicine. Never before have the availability and delivery of intensive care medicine been so crucial in a health care crisis. Common critical care issues like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), ventilators, proning, dialysis, sepsis, and respiratory failure were commonly discussed in the press and social media. There were also much anxiety, fear, and conjecture on the best way to manage this new disease. Two years into the pandemic with the benefit of hindsight, perspective, and evidence to guide care, the pandemic has proven to be reaffirming, challenging, and ultimately promising for the future of critical care medicine.