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

• 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
• Journal Title: INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
• Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS | 2021-06-03, Pages 1-5
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2021.266
• Subjects: Biology, Virology; Health Sciences, Public Health
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Infectious Diseases

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.