Ontario hospitals asked to admit patients 14 and older to adult ICUs
Intensive care patients 14 and older can now be admitted to adult ICU beds in Ontario hospitals to help create capacity at children's hospitals seeing a surge in pediatric patients.
In a memo obtained by CP24, the commander of the Ontario Critical Care COVID-19 Command Centre, Andrew Baker, made the request to hospital CEOs on Wednesday, asking them for "urgent support with implementing strategies related to critical care with the goal of managing significant stress in occupancy and available capacity, both in general and in particular the current and impending surge in pediatric critical care demand."
"It is anticipated that the next 2-3 months will bring significantly increased demands for pediatric critical care support that will be sustained and characterized by unplanned surges that may occur with very short lead time," Baker wrote.
Effective Nov. 2, hospitals are directed to manage people aged 14 and over requiring critical care in adult ICU beds. Teenage patients are usually referred to pediatric ICU beds.
The move, Baker said, would "create continuously available pediatric care capacity."
He noted that the order will be reviewed every two weeks
Hospitals are also being asked to proactively create and sustain additional capacity in adult ICUs to accommodate the move.
"We anticipate that (it) may require hospitals to manage their resources and may result in the need to ramp down surgical/procedural volumes," Baker wrote.
Children's hospitals across the province have seen high patient volumes leading to longer than normal wait times for non-emergent cases. They have also recently seen their intensive care beds filled to capacity.
CHEO, the pediatric hospital in Ottawa, announced Wednesday that it was cancelling some non-urgent surgeries, procedures and clinic appointments and redeploying clinicians to free up staff as it deals with a "major surge" in patients this fall.
In the memo, Baker said the move will be "critical to preventing safety incidents and the current and pending surge of demand for pediatric services."
"We also emphasize that these requests are temporary and will correspond to the predicted surge period," Baker added.
- with files from CTV Toronto and CTV Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More Canadians only making minimum payment on credit cards: TransUnion
Some Canadians are seeing their credit card balances grow as the cost-of-living crisis and higher interest rates eat into household budgets, a new report shows.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
Tanks reach Rafah's centre as Israel presses assault despite global scrutiny
Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground operation in the southern Gaza city that has sparked global condemnation.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
Arm of mummy came off after mishandling by museum staff: Mexican government
Mexico's federal archaeology agency on Monday accused the conservative-governed city of Guanajuato of mistreating one of the country’s famous mummified 19th century bodies.
Five of Ontario's top 10 worst roads are located in the Toronto area
A new pothole-riddled street in Hamilton has taken the top spot for the worst road in Ontario, according to a new list released by the Canadian Automotive Association (CAA) on Tuesday.
DEVELOPING In Trump's hush money trial, prosecutors and defence lawyers are poised to make final pitch to jury
Prosecutors and defence lawyers in Donald Trump's hush money trial are set to deliver closing arguments to the jury Tuesday, each side looking to score final points with the panel before it starts deliberating the fate of the first former American president to be charged with felony crimes.
Red Lobster in Ontario court to discuss U.S. bankruptcy case, Canadian assets: docs
A lawyer for Red Lobster Canada, Inc. says he will ask an Ontario court today to recognize and enforce the chain’s U.S. bankruptcy protection proceedings, a process which documents show could include selling Canadian assets.