Outcomes of COVID-19-Related ARDS Patients Hospitalized in a Military Field Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction: Little evidence of outcome is available on critically ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients hospitalized in a field hospital. Our purpose was to report outcomes of critically ill COVID-19 patients after hospitalization in a field intensive care unit (ICU), established under military tents in a civil–military collaboration. Methods: All patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) admitted to the Military Health Service Field Intensive Care Unit in Mulhouse (France) between March 24, 2020, and May 7, 2020, were included in the study. Medical history and clinical and laboratory data were collected prospectively. The institutional review board of the French Society Anesthesia and Intensive Care approved the study. Results: Forty-seven patients were hospitalized (37 men, median age 62 [54-67] years, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score 7 [6-10] points, and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score 39 [28-50] points) during the 45-day deployment of the field ICU. Median length of stay was 11 [6-15] days and median length of ventilation was 13 [7.5-21] days. At the end of the deployment, 25 (53%) patients went back home, 17 (37%) were still hospitalized, and 4 (9%) died. At hospital discharge, 40 (85%) patients were alive. Conclusion: In this study, a military field ICU joined a regional civil hospital to manage a large cluster of COVID-19-related ARDS patients in Mulhouse, France. This report illustrates how military teams can support civil authorities in the provision of advanced critical care. Outcomes of patient suggest that this field hospital deployment was an effective adaptation during pandemic conditions.