Admission decisions to intensive care units in the context of the major COVID-19 outbreak: local guidance from the COVID-19 Paris-region area
Élie Azoulay, Sadek Béloucif, Bertrand Guidet, Dominique Pateron, Benoît Vivien, Matthieu Le Dorze
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic unprecedented in size, spread, severity, and mortality. The influx of patients with severe or life-threatening disease means that in some cases, the available medical resources are not sufficient to meet the needs of all patients. Hence, healthcare providers may be forced to make difficult choices about which patients should be referred to the ICU. This document is intended to provide conceptual support to all healthcare teams currently engaged in the frontline management of the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to assist physicians in the decision-making process for ICU admission and to help them provide uninterrupted and high-quality care.