1. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on home mechanical ventilation services: A national survey.
- Author
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Shah AJ, Suh ES, Kaltsakas G, Ramsay M, Saigal A, Murphy PB, Armstorng A, and Mandal S
- Subjects
- England epidemiology, Humans, Pandemics, Respiration, Artificial, COVID-19 epidemiology, Home Care Services
- Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption to healthcare services globally. We present the findings of a national survey of home mechanical ventilation (HMV) services in England and Wales. 30 HMV services (60%) responded. There was a significant reduction in outpatient services with 93% of services not offering routine face-to-face appointments, although most centres were able to offer emergency appointments for ventilation review and set-up. HMV inpatient capacity was reassigned, and HMV service staff re-deployed in the majority of centres (97%). The initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic left a service backlog of a median of 87 outpatient appointments [range 0-1500] and a median of 4 patients (range 0-100) awaiting NIV set-up., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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