2023-06-26 04:43:07
Internal medicine specialists are concerned regarding the closure of many intensive care beds at the start of the summer. They fear that the situation will lead to service disruptions in several hospitals in the province.
Posted at 12:43 a.m. Updated at 5:00 a.m.
“For months, 15 to 20% of intensive care beds have been closed mainly due to staff shortages. Added to this is the closure of additional beds during the summer, ”underlines the president of the Association of specialists in internal medicine of Quebec (ASMIQ), Dr. Pierre McCabe.
Hospitals in major cities are equipped with 20 to 30 intensive care beds, while those in the regions usually have regarding 10, says Dr. McCabe. “If we amputate two, four or six, the functioning of the whole hospital is disrupted. »
In recent years, several establishments have also opted for the total closure of their intensive care units. This is particularly the case of the Lachine hospital in Montreal and the La Tuque hospital, indicates the president.
“It implies that patients who need intensive care must be transferred to another center in the same region. We sometimes talk regarding a 90-minute road trip, so that can put patients at risk. »
Impacts on the rest of the network
Dr. McCabe fears the precarious situation in intensive care will increase pressure elsewhere in the system. “Intensive care is like the engine in the hospital. This is what frees the emergency room from its heaviest cases and it is what allows the sickest patients to be removed from the floors. »
The consequences of these bed closures might be significant on emergency services and surgical catch-ups, believes Dr McCabe.
“When beds are closed in intensive care, the emergency department is often one of the first to be called in for reinforcement,” adds the president of the Association of Specialists in Emergency Medicine of Quebec, Dr. Gilbert Boucher.
“Unfortunately, we find ourselves with patients intubated in the emergency room for many hours. We have to take care of very sick patients, like septic shock,” he explains.
Relegated to the background
Summer is traditionally marked by a decrease in medical staff in hospitals.
There is already a problem with the fluidity of the beds and it will be worse during the summer with the additional closure of beds and the shortage of staff.
Dr. Pierre McCabe, President of the Association of Internal Medicine Specialists of Quebec (ASMIQ)
He recommends that establishments monitor the situation carefully. “They have to be well aware of the issues that it can have in the network to close intensive care beds,” he said.
It also insists on the need to recognize the expertise of the personnel working in these units and to promote their practice. He also believes that intensive care is often relegated to the background. “It’s a bit of a blind spot, we talk a lot regarding emergencies and surgeries, but little regarding intensive care. »
1000 fewer patients
Emergency services are not yet feeling the repercussions of the reduction in the number of available beds, argues Dr. Gilbert Boucher. On June 19, the number of patients visiting the emergency room stood at 9,128, regarding 1,000 fewer patients compared to the same period last year.
“It’s still going well. It’s not quiet, but there isn’t too much traffic. Things are holding up,” he notes. At the moment, the sickest patients are being adequately cared for, he adds.
He also says he is more confident than last summer. “If there is no virus or big event happening, we can see summer in a serene way. However, he regrets that a thousand Quebecers leave every day without having seen a doctor. “It’s always sad to see them wait 15 or 20 hours and leave without seeing one. »
For his part, the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, declared on Wednesday that a reduction in services is to be expected during the summer in the emergency room due to the shortage of personnel.
1687808282
#Closure #beds #summer #Breaks #service #feared #intensive #care