Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University Jinan, Shandong, China (People's Republic)
Introduction: This study aims to assess the structure and organization of intensive care units (ICUs) in Level II and above hospitals within the Shandong Province of China, where data on these aspects have not been systematically evaluated.
Methods: In this explorative survey, information about the structure, organization, staffing patterns, and technology of ICUs in the Shandong Province was collected using an online questionnaire, and compared with the survey data from 2015.
Results: 755 ICUs from 514 hospitals in 16 cities of Shandong Province were included in the survey. The ratio of total number of ICU beds/hospital beds was 3.29% (12209/370652). The ICU management mode was primarily closed management (69.93%), with 23.31% of ICUs using semi-closed and 6.76% of ICUs using open management. The ratio of ICU physicians and nurses to beds was 0.52 and 1.50, respectively. Bedside ultrasound, continuous renal replacement therapy, bronchoscopy, and other common techniques were found to be available in most ICUs. Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) could be performed in 18.54% of ICUs, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) could be performed in 13.25% of ICUs.
Conclusions: Since 2015, especially after the COVID-19, ICU construction in the Shandong Province has improved significantly, but it must be strengthened in terms of bed allocation and medical staff resources. The relationship between comprehensive ICUs and specialized ICUs is an urgent problem to be solved.
