10.04.2020-13.00- In order to cope with the COVID-19 emergency, ASUGI is increasing the number of sub-intensive pulmonology and intensive care beds to assist patients with respiratory failure, setting up, for this purpose, the 13th floor of the Medical Tower of the Cattinara Hospital.
Part of the necessary technological equipment will be purchased thanks to the contribution of Illycaffè.
The equipment necessary to set up the 13th floor consists of 30 intensive care ventilators, 15 pulmonary ventilators for sub-intensive care, a vital parameters monitoring system for intensive care, a vital parameters monitoring system for sub-intensive care, a portable X-ray, 120 infusion pumps, three portable ultrasound scanners, 20 high flow humidifiers, two defibrillators and two advanced hemodynamic monitoring systems.
Fundamental are the pulmonary ventilators, which allow to artificially ventilate the patient in total or partial respiratory failure by replacing him in the mechanical work of introducing appropriate volumes of gas through the upper airways.
Equally fundamental is the monitoring system, which allows the visualization and the control of physiological functional parameters in real time by means of electrodes, and transducers properly connected to the patient.
Not negligible is the need for pumps to infuse drugs, usually 4 or 5 units per bed are
required.
In addition to pulmonary ventilators, equip intensive or sub-intensive departments
with high flow humidification allows the treatment of patients who breathe independently, but need to receive respiratory gases (especially oxygen) in high, hot, humidified streams.
Important is the presence in intensive care of an advanced monitoring system to see, monitor and interact with hemodynamic parameters in order to allow the evaluation of oxygenation and cardiac output in case of severe respiratory failure.
Additional portable radiology equipment and portable ultrasound scanners are also extremely necessary to perform bedside diagnostic tests on patients which cannot be transported to, for example, the radiology department.
“We have expanded the intensive care services of our Region by more than 80 new beds, thus guaranteeing assistance to all citizens of our Region; we helped those in greatest difficulty.
I thank Illycaffè that allows us to realize the 13th floor of the Cattinara Hospital, where 33 beds are under construction” concluded the VicePresident of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia with delegation to health.
Michael Guggenbichler translation
