Tense situation in Bavaria's intensive care units: "Massive overload situation"

The situation in Bavaria's intensive care units remains tense.

Do patients have to be turned away by now?

An intensive care doctor explains the situation.

Munich - The Corona * numbers are increasing dramatically.

Bavaria has therefore declared a disaster. * Many intensive care beds are occupied - what is the current situation?

Do the sick and injured have to be turned away?

Tense corona situation in Bavaria - intensive care physician explains the current situation

The situation in the intensive care units in Free State is tense.

The number of Corona * infections continues to rise rapidly - the deaths have also multiplied.

Operations that can be planned are now being postponed and patients are being relocated.

The Nuremberg intensive care doctor Stefan John, board member of the German Society for Internal Intensive Care Medicine, explains the situation.

(By the way: Our Bavaria newsletter informs you about all the important stories from the Free State. Register here.)

Question: Are the intensive care units already about to triage - so does a selection have to be made?

Nuremberg intensive care physician Stefan John: “We are certainly not in a triage situation where we have to decide who to treat and who not.

But we are actually in a massive overload situation, so that many patients have to be moved, that many may not be treated quite as quickly as they normally are.

It is often very, very difficult for emergency doctors to find a place in an intensive care unit at all.

They have to make a lot of phone calls, maybe drive longer distances, because they are diverted to another house.

And in the case of a heart attack, for example, any time delay can cost lives. "

Situation in Bavaria's intensive care units - Corona, Delta, wave of colds and shortage of staff

Question: How can the intensification in the intensive care units be explained in comparison to the earlier waves?

John: “We have a large number of unvaccinated people.

That is still between 15 and 18 million across Germany, for whom the infection can run unchecked.

We have a variant with Delta that is more infectious.

And at the moment we have hardly any countermeasures by politicians, and there is also little willingness among the population to limit themselves again.

In addition, the vaccinated people no longer have reliable protection.

Especially in a situation with an enormously high incidence, those who have been vaccinated are also more at risk.

In addition, we have been pushing a shortage of staff before us for many years, which has increased massively in the last year.

At the moment we are also struggling with a violent wave of colds, which not only affects the patients, but also the staff. "

Disaster in Bavaria: will the 2G rule soon be expanded?

Question: What is the current mood like in the intensive care units?

John: “Of course there are still undaunted fighters.

But overall the mood is really bad after the long time, especially among the nursing staff.

Of course, it is also those who stand by the bed who have to look after the patient for hours in full protection, sweating over and over again.

When unvaccinated patients come, the resentment is often great because it would have been avoidable. ”