The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM), initiated a study to describe the extent of the COVID-19 ICU surge worldwide and the clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Additionally, the goal was to study the impact of critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to a surge capacity bed on the treatment and outcomes.

The study hypothesised that admission to surge capacity beds increased mortality compared to standard ICU beds and that need for early invasive mechanical ventilation was associated with higher mortality.

We have gone through the main findings of this comprehensive study with Prof Jan De Waele.

Original article: Clinical and organizational factors associated with mortality during the peak of first COVID-19 wave: the global UNITE-COVID study

Speakers

Jan DE WAELE. Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University (BE).

Emilio RODRIGUEZ-RUIZ. Intensive Care Medicine Department, University Clinic Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (ES).