Physicians in Lombardy, Italy, have been overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients requiring critical care. Based on an existing ECMO center network they developed an ICU network to rapidly identify, triage, and manage patients infected with SARS-2-CoV. Maurizio Cecconi, MD, of Humanitas University in Milan discusses the region’s approach to the surge, including clinical and supply management, health care worker training and protection, and ventilation strategies, with JAMA Editor Howard Bauchner.
Topics covered in this
video:
COVID-19 cases and case-fatality rates in Italy to date (
3:45)
How did you reorganize your intensive care services as cases increased? (
6:52)
How many ICU beds were you able to add as cases surged? (
10:10)
Have you created separate ICUs for COVID-19 patients? (
15:47)
How are you protecting health care personnel? (
17:20)
Are you making painful triage decisions? (
21:30)
Are you using therapies besides traditional approaches to respiratory failure? (
24:50)
Have you seen any cases of reinfection? (
26:58)
What are your recommendations for the United States? (
28:10)
Are you attempting noninvasive ventilation in less severe cases? (
31:07)
When you go home, how are you protecting your family? (
33:30)
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