Critical care bed capacity in Asian countries and regions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study
Phua J. Kulkarni A.P. Mizota T. Hashemian S.M.R. Lee W.-Y. Permpikul C. Chittawatanarat K. Nitikaroon P. Arabi Y.M. Fang W.-F. Konkayev A. Hashmi M. Palo J.E. Faruq M.O. Shrestha B.R. KC B. Mat Nor M.B.B. Sann K.K. Ling L. Haniffa R. Al Bahrani M. Mendsaikhan N. Chan Y.H.
March 2024Elsevier Ltd
The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific
2024#44
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.
Bed capacity , COVID-19 , Critical care , Intensive care units , Mortality
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Fast and Chronic Programmes, Alexandra Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore
Division of Critical Care Medicine, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
Department of Anesthesia, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, South Korea
Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Health Administration Division, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Department of Respiratory Care, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi, Taiwan
Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Department, Astana Medical University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
National Science Center of Traumatology and Orthopedia Named Batpenov, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
Acute and Critical Care Institute, The Medical City, Pasig City, Philippines
General Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department, United Hospital Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
International Islamic University Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuantan, Malaysia
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit, Yangon General Hospital, University of Medicine 1, Yangon, Myanmar
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Network for Improving Critical Care Systems and Training, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman
Mongolia-Japan Hospital, Mongolian National University Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Biostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore
Fast and Chronic Programmes
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Division of Critical Care Medicine
Department of Anesthesia
Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine
Health Administration Division
King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Department of Respiratory Care
Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Department
National Science Center of Traumatology and Orthopedia Named Batpenov
Department of Critical Care Medicine
Acute and Critical Care Institute
General Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care
International Islamic University Malaysia Medical Centre
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
Network for Improving Critical Care Systems and Training
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Centre for Inflammation Research
Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care
Mongolia-Japan Hospital
Biostatistics Unit
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