Table 3.
Difficulty in the availability of ICU equipment and medications
| Equipment and medicationa | Developed country (n = 34) | Developing country (n = 39) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds | 0 (0) | 10.26 (4) | .05 |
| ICU beds | 2.94 (1) | 12.82 (5) | .13 |
| Operating room | 0 (0) | 5.13 (2) | .10 |
| Central IV catheter | 0 (0) | 12.82 (5) | .03 |
| ICU monitoring devices | 2.94 (1) | 23.08 (9) | .01 |
| Mechanical ventilators | 0 (0) | 7.69 (3) | .10 |
| Cardiac defibrillators | 0 (0) | 5.13 (2) | .18 |
| Radiology equipment | 0 (0) | 17.95 (7) | .009 |
| Dialysis equipment | 2.94 (1) | 38.46 (15) | <.001 |
| Blood bank | 0 (0) | 5.13 (2) | .18 |
| Antimicrobials | 14.71 (5) | 25.64 (10) | .25 |
| Pain/sedation medicationsb | 2.94 (1) | 23.08 (9) | .01 |
| Cardiovascular drugs | 0 (0) | 2.56 (1) | .35 |
| Crystalloid fluids | 0 (0) | 7.69 (3) | .09 |
| Blood products/albumin | 0 (0) | 23.08 (9) | .002 |
ICU intensive care unit, IV intravenous
aPercentage of respondents in the group who selected “difficult” or “very difficult” for the survey item
bThese medications include opioids, benzodiazepine, and ketamine