Jurnal Internasional Afrika vol. 11 issue 2 2021
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
A baseline review of the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide emergency and critical care services for COVID-19 patients
Dublin Core
Title
Jurnal Internasional Afrika vol. 11 issue 2 2021
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
A baseline review of the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide emergency and critical care services for COVID-19 patients
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
A baseline review of the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide emergency and critical care services for COVID-19 patients
Subject
Emergency treatment
Critical care
Prehospital emergency care
SARS coronavirus
Oxygen
Triage
Critical care
Prehospital emergency care
SARS coronavirus
Oxygen
Triage
Description
Introduction: As the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Kenya begin to rise, the number of severe and
critical COVID-19 patients has the potential to quickly overload the local healthcare system beyond its capacity
to treat people.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to gather information about the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide
emergency and critical care services and to identify priority actions for use by policymakers and other stakeholders
as a roadmap toward strengthening the COVID-19 response in the country.
Methods: This was a comprehensive review of the published and grey literature on emergency and critical care
services in Kenya published in the last three years through April 2020. Screening of articles was conducted
independently by the authors and the final decision for inclusion was made collaboratively. A total of 15 papers
and documents were included in the review.
Key recommendations: There is an urgent need to strengthen prehospital emergency care in Kenya by establishing
a single toll-free ambulance access number and an integrated public Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system
to respond to severe and critical COVID-19 patients in the community and other emergency cases. Functional 24-
h emergency centres (ECs) need to be established in all the level 4, 5 and 6 hospitals in the country to ensure
these patients receive immediate lifesaving emergency care when they arrive at the hospitals. The ECs should be
equipped with pulse oximeters and functioning oxygen systems and have the necessary resources and skills to
perform endotracheal intubation to manage COVID-19-induced respiratory distress and hypoxia. Additional
intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators are also needed to ensure continuity of care for the critically ill
patients seen in the EC. Appropriate practical interventions should be instituted to limit the spread of COVID-19
to healthcare personnel and other patients within the healthcare system. Further research with individual facility
levels of assessment around infrastructure and service provision is necessary to more narrowly define areas with
significant shortfalls in emergency and critical care services as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country
increase.
critical COVID-19 patients has the potential to quickly overload the local healthcare system beyond its capacity
to treat people.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to gather information about the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide
emergency and critical care services and to identify priority actions for use by policymakers and other stakeholders
as a roadmap toward strengthening the COVID-19 response in the country.
Methods: This was a comprehensive review of the published and grey literature on emergency and critical care
services in Kenya published in the last three years through April 2020. Screening of articles was conducted
independently by the authors and the final decision for inclusion was made collaboratively. A total of 15 papers
and documents were included in the review.
Key recommendations: There is an urgent need to strengthen prehospital emergency care in Kenya by establishing
a single toll-free ambulance access number and an integrated public Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system
to respond to severe and critical COVID-19 patients in the community and other emergency cases. Functional 24-
h emergency centres (ECs) need to be established in all the level 4, 5 and 6 hospitals in the country to ensure
these patients receive immediate lifesaving emergency care when they arrive at the hospitals. The ECs should be
equipped with pulse oximeters and functioning oxygen systems and have the necessary resources and skills to
perform endotracheal intubation to manage COVID-19-induced respiratory distress and hypoxia. Additional
intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators are also needed to ensure continuity of care for the critically ill
patients seen in the EC. Appropriate practical interventions should be instituted to limit the spread of COVID-19
to healthcare personnel and other patients within the healthcare system. Further research with individual facility
levels of assessment around infrastructure and service provision is necessary to more narrowly define areas with
significant shortfalls in emergency and critical care services as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country
increase.
Creator
Benjamin W. Wachira , Margarita Mwai
Source
www.elsevier.com/locate/afjem
Publisher
ELSAVIER
Date
6 January 2021
Contributor
PERI IRAWAN
Format
PDF
Language
ENGLISH
Type
TEXT
Files
Citation
Benjamin W. Wachira , Margarita Mwai, “Jurnal Internasional Afrika vol. 11 issue 2 2021
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
A baseline review of the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide emergency and critical care services for COVID-19 patients,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed November 21, 2024, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2617.
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
A baseline review of the ability of hospitals in Kenya to provide emergency and critical care services for COVID-19 patients,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed November 21, 2024, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2617.