Intensive care medicine in Mongolia's 3 largest cities: outlining the needs.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate intensive care resources, support, and personnel available in Mongolia's 3 largest cities.


METHODS
This prospective study was performed as a questionnaire-based survey evaluating intensive care units (ICUs) in Mongolia's 3 main cities.


RESULTS
Twenty-one of 31 ICUs participated in the survey. The median number of beds per ICU was 7 (interquartile ranges, 6-10) with 0.7 (0.6-0.9) physicians and 1.5 (0.6-1.8) nurses per bed. A 24-hour physician service was available in 61.9% of the participating ICUs. A median number of 359 patients (250-500) with an average age of 39 (30-49) years were treated annually. Oxygen was available in all ICUs, but only for 60% (17-75) of beds. Pressurized air was available in 33% of the ICUs for 24% (0-15) of beds. Of the ICUs, 52.4% had a lung ventilator serving 20% (0-23) of beds. The most common admission diagnoses were sepsis, stroke, cardiac disease, postoperative or postpartum hemorrhage, and intoxication. Availability of medical equipment, disposables, and drugs was inadequate in all ICUs.


CONCLUSIONS
Intensive care medicine in Mongolia's 3 largest cities is an under-resourced and underdeveloped medical specialty. The main problems encountered are insufficient training of staff as well as lack of medical equipment, disposables, and drugs.
Dünser
Martin W
MW
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. martin.duenser@i-med.ac.at
Bataar
Otgon
O
Tsenddorj
Ganbat
G
Lundeg
Ganbold
G
Jochberger
Stefan
S
Jakob
Stephan
S