Effect of cancelling elective surgery on ICU bed, ventilator capacity

Editor's Note

This study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York City, finds that patients having elective surgery make up a small fraction of ICU bed and mechanical ventilation use in New York State.

The researchers reviewed 5 years of New York State data on ICU utilization and mechanical ventilation.

From 2011 to 2015:

• 13.4% of ICU admissions were related to elective surgery, and 6.4% required mechanical ventilation
• 28.0% of ICU admissions were related to emergent/urgent admissions/trauma surgery, and 32.8% required mechanical ventilation
• 58.6% of ICU admissions were related to medical admissions, and 60.8% required mechanical ventilation.

New York City holds the majority of ICU beds (ie, 2,496 of 3,566) in New York State.

Suspending elective surgeries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic may have a minor effect on ICU capacity, compared to other sources of ICU admissions, such as emergent/urgent admissions/trauma surgery and medical admissions, the researchers say.