Which patient gets the critical care bed?
Census fluctuations and the failure to develop appropriate guidelines for admitting and transferring patients have made the staffing of critical care units extremely difficult, sometimes with serious ethical and physical consequences to patients. In this report, a case is analyzed to explore some of the ramifications of the use of beds in the critical care unit.
L F
LF
Oddi
S R
SR
Huerta
D001509:Bed Occupancy; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000592:standards*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000600:supply & distribution; D018579:Patient Selection; D011379:Prognosis; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012941:Social Responsibility; D000078329:Workforce