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Critical Care Bed Capacity in Asian Countries and Regions

Phua J, Faruq MO, Kulkarni AP, Redjeki IS, Detleuxay K, Mendsaikhan N, et al.

Crit Care Med, 2020 05;48(5):654-662.
PMID: 31923030 DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000004222

OBJECTIVE: To assess the number of adult critical care beds in Asian countries and regions in relation to population size.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study.
SETTING: Twenty-three Asian countries and regions, covering 92.1% of the continent's population.
PARTICIPANTS: Ten low-income and lower-middle-income economies, five upper-middle-income economies, and eight high-income economies according to the World Bank classification.
INTERVENTIONS: Data closest to 2017 on critical care beds, including ICU and intermediate care unit beds, were obtained through multiple means, including government sources, national critical care societies, colleges, or registries, personal contacts, and extrapolation of data.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Cumulatively, there were 3.6 critical care beds per 100,000 population. The median number of critical care beds per 100,000 population per country and region was significantly lower in low- and lower-middle-income economies (2.3; interquartile range, 1.4-2.7) than in upper-middle-income economies (4.6; interquartile range, 3.5-15.9) and high-income economies (12.3; interquartile range, 8.1-20.8) (p = 0.001), with a large variation even across countries and regions of the same World Bank income classification. This number was independently predicted by the World Bank income classification on multivariable analysis, and significantly correlated with the number of acute hospital beds per 100,000 population (r = 0.19; p = 0.047), the universal health coverage service coverage index (r = 0.35; p = 0.003), and the Human Development Index (r = 0.40; p = 0.001) on univariable analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: Critical care bed capacity varies widely across Asia and is significantly lower in low- and lower-middle-income than in upper-middle-income and high-income countries and regions.
Mechanical Ventilation Discontinuation Practices in Asia: A Multinational Survey

Leung CHC, Lee A, Arabi YM, Phua J, Divatia JV, Koh Y, et al.

Ann Am Thorac Soc, 2021 08;18(8):1352-1359.
PMID: 33284738 DOI: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202008-968OC

Rationale: There are limited data on mechanical discontinuation practices in Asia. Objectives: To document self-reported mechanical discontinuation practices and determine whether there is clinical equipoise regarding protocolized weaning among Asian Intensive Care specialists. Methods: A survey using a validated questionnaire, distributed using a snowball method to Asian Intensive Care specialists. Results: Of the 2,967 invited specialists from 20 territories, 2,074 (69.9%) took part. The majority of respondents (60.5%) were from China. Of the respondents, 42% worked in intensive care units (ICUs) where respiratory therapists were present; 78.9% used a spontaneous breathing trial as the initial weaning step; 44.3% frequently/always used pressure support (PS) alone, 53.4% intermittent spontaneous breathing trials with PS in between, and 19.8% synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation with PS as a weaning mode. Of the respondents, 56.3% routinely stopped feeds before extubation, 71.5% generally followed a sedation protocol or guideline, and 61.8% worked in an ICU with a weaning protocol. Of these, 78.2% frequently always followed the protocol. A multivariate analysis involving a modified Poisson regression analysis showed that working in an ICU with a weaning protocol and frequently/always following it was positively associated with an upper-middle-income territory, a university-affiliated hospital, or in an ICU that employed respiratory therapists; and negatively with a low-income or lower-middle-income territory or a public hospital. There was no significant association with "in-house" intensivist at night, multidisciplinary ICU, closed ICU, or nurse-patient ratio. There was heterogeneity in agreement/disagreement with the statement, "evidence clearly supports protocolized weaning over nonprotocolized weaning." Conclusions: A substantial minority of Asian Intensive Care specialists do not wean patients in accordance with the best available evidence or current guidelines. There is clinical equipoise regarding the benefit of protocolized weaning.
The story of critical care in Asia: a narrative review

Phua J, Lim CM, Faruq MO, Nafees KMK, Du B, Gomersall CD, et al.

J Intensive Care, 2021 Oct 07;9(1):60.
PMID: 34620252 DOI: 10.1186/s40560-021-00574-4

BACKGROUND: Asia has more critically ill people than any other part of our planet. The aim of this article is to review the development of critical care as a specialty, critical care societies and education and research, the epidemiology of critical illness as well as epidemics and pandemics, accessibility and cost and quality of critical care, culture and end-of-life care, and future directions for critical care in Asia.
MAIN BODY: Although the first Asian intensive care units (ICUs) surfaced in the 1960s and the 1970s and specialisation started in the 1990s, multiple challenges still exist, including the lack of intensivists, critical care nurses, and respiratory therapists in many countries. This is aggravated by the brain drain of skilled ICU staff to high-income countries. Critical care societies have been integral to the development of the discipline and have increasingly contributed to critical care education, although critical care research is only just starting to take off through collaboration across groups. Sepsis, increasingly aggravated by multidrug resistance, contributes to a significant burden of critical illness, while epidemics and pandemics continue to haunt the continent intermittently. In particular, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has highlighted the central role of critical care in pandemic response. Accessibility to critical care is affected by lack of ICU beds and high costs, and quality of critical care is affected by limited capability for investigations and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. Meanwhile, there are clear cultural differences across countries, with considerable variations in end-of-life care. Demand for critical care will rise across the continent due to ageing populations and rising comorbidity burdens. Even as countries respond by increasing critical care capacity, the critical care community must continue to focus on training for ICU healthcare workers, processes anchored on evidence-based medicine, technology guided by feasibility and impact, research applicable to Asian and local settings, and rallying of governments for support for the specialty.
CONCLUSIONS: Critical care in Asia has progressed through the years, but multiple challenges remain. These challenges should be addressed through a collaborative approach across disciplines, ICUs, hospitals, societies, governments, and countries.
Fulltext Critical care bed capacity in Asian countries and regions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study

Phua J, Kulkarni AP, Mizota T, Hashemian SMR, Lee WY, Permpikul C, et al.

Lancet Reg Health West Pac, 2024 Mar;44:100982.
PMID: 38143717 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100982

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the importance of critical care. The aim of the current study was to compare the number of adult critical care beds in relation to population size in Asian countries and regions before (2017) and during (2022) the pandemic.
METHODS: This observational study collected data closest to 2022 on critical care beds (intensive care units and intermediate care units) in 12 middle-income and 7 high-income economies (using the 2022-2023 World Bank classification), through a mix of methods including government sources, national critical care societies, personal contacts, and data extrapolation. Data were compared with a prior study from 2017 of the same countries and regions.
FINDINGS: The cumulative number of critical care beds per 100,000 population increased from 3.0 in 2017 to 9.4 in 2022 (p = 0.003). The median figure for middle-income economies increased from 2.6 (interquartile range [IQR] 1.7-7.8) to 6.6 (IQR 2.2-13.3), and that for high-income economies increased from 11.4 (IQR 7.3-22.8) to 13.9 (IQR 10.7-21.7). Only 3 countries did not see a rise in bed capacity. Where data were available in 2022, 10.9% of critical care beds were in single rooms (median 5.0% in middle-income and 20.3% in high-income economies), and 5.3% had negative pressure (median 0.7% in middle-income and 18.5% in high-income economies).
INTERPRETATION: Critical care bed capacity in the studied Asian countries and regions increased close to three-fold from 2017 to 2022. Much of this increase was attributed to middle-income economies, but substantial heterogeneity exists.
FUNDING: None.