Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-grxwn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-10T20:59:24.298Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Oxygen and Ventilator Logistics During California’s COVID-19 Surge: When Oxygen Becomes a Scarce Resource

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2021

Asha V. Devereaux Open the ORCID record for Asha V. Devereaux [Opens in a new window] ,
Howard Backer Open the ORCID record for Howard Backer [Opens in a new window] ,
Arzoo Salami ,
Chuck Wright ,
Kate Christensen ,
Kathleen Rice ,
Cindy Jakel-Smith ,
Mitch Metzner ,
Jasmeet K. Bains  and
Kathy Staats
...Show all authors
Asha V. Devereaux*
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA Sharp Coronado Hospital, Coronado, CA, USA
Howard Backer
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Arzoo Salami
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Chuck Wright
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Kate Christensen
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Kathleen Rice
Affiliation:
UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA, USA
Cindy Jakel-Smith
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Mitch Metzner
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Jasmeet K. Bains
Affiliation:
Bakersfield Recovery Services, Bakersfield, CA, USA
Kathy Staats
Affiliation:
County EMS, El Centro, San Diego, CA, USA
Richard Branson
Affiliation:
Division of Trauma & Critical Care, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Markell Pierce
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
Erin Noste
Affiliation:
UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA, USA UCSD Emergency Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
David Duncan
Affiliation:
California Emergency Services Authority, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
*
Correspondence author: Asha V. Devereaux, Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The state of California, in the United States of America, has a population of nearly 40 million people and is the 5th largest economy in the world. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020-2021, the state experienced a medical surge that stressed its sophisticated health-care and public health system. During this period, ventilators, oxygen, and other equipment necessary for providing ventilatory support became a scarce resource in many health-care settings. When demand overwhelms supply, creative solutions are required at all levels of disaster management and health care. This study describes the disaster response by the state of California to mitigate the emergency demands for oxygen delivery resources.

Keywords

oxygenventilatorsmass carelogisticssurgeCOVID-19disasteralternate care sites
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e33
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ritz, R, Previtera, J. Oxygen supplies during a mass casualty situation. Respir Care. 2008;53(2):215-224.Google ScholarPubMed
Blakeman, T, Branson, R. Oxygen supplies in disaster management. Respir Care. 2013;58(1):173-182.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kobayashi, S, Hanagama, M, Yamanda, S, et al. Home oxygen therapy during natural disasters: lessons from the great East Japan earthquake. Eur Respir J. 2012;39(4):1047-1048.Google ScholarPubMed
Devereaux, A. Preparing your patients who use oxygen or CPAP for natural disasters. Op-Med: Voices from the Doximity Network. September 16, 2016. https://opmed.doximity.com/articles/preparing-your-patients-who-use-oxygen-or-cpap-for-natural-disasters?_csrf_attempted=yes. Accessed August 15, 2021.Google Scholar
Cupp, O, Predmore, B. Planning for the next influenza pandemic: using the science and art of logistics. Am J Disaster Med. 2011;14(4):287-298.Google Scholar
Pearson, S, Parkinson, J, Perez, S. Oxygen scarcity swells Covid-19’s death toll. Wall Street Journal. January 25, 2021. https://www.wsj.com/articles/oxygen-scarcity-swells-covid-19s-death-toll-11611570926. Accessed August 14, 2021.Google Scholar
Kitroeff, N, Lopez, O. Oxygen shortage begets Mexican ‘death market’. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/americas/mexico-covid-oxygen-shortage.html. Accessed September 14, 2021.Google Scholar
The Visual and Data Journalism Team. Covid-19 in India: cases, deaths and oxygen supply. BBC News. April 29, 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56891016. Accessed August 14, 2021.Google Scholar
Branson, R, Dichter, J, Feldman, H, et al. The US strategic national stockpile ventilators in coronavirus disease 2019: a comparison of functionality and analysis regarding the emergency purchase of 200,000 devices. Chest. 2020;159(2):634-652.Google ScholarPubMed
Pierce, M, Osuna, G, Hodel, J, et al. California State Oxygen Depot: Concept of Operations 2.0. In: CALMAT, ed. Sacramento, CA 2021.Google Scholar
Patil, A. As the coronavirus rages in California, L.A. medics are told to ration oxygen. New York Times. January 5, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/world/california-covid-oxygen-coronavirus.html. Accessed August 14, 2021.Google Scholar
Hardavella, G, Karampinis, I, Frille, A, et al. Oxygen devices and delivery systems. Breathe. 2019;15(3):e108-e106.Google ScholarPubMed
Breyre, A, Sloane, B, Herring, C, et al. Establishment of an Alternate Care Site (ACS) in Imperial County during COVID-19. West J Emerg Med. 2021;22(3):608-613.Google ScholarPubMed
ASPR TRACIE. Considerations for oxygen therapy in disasters. 2018. https://files.asprtracie.hhs.gov/documents/aspr-tracie-ta-oxygen-therapy.pdf. Accessed May 20, 2021.Google Scholar
Nishimura, M. High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy in adults. J Intensive Care. 2015;3(1):15.Google ScholarPubMed
Thakur, V. Nandurbar model: how a Maharashtra district is beating Covid-19 with its ‘oxygen nurses’. India Today. May 8, 2021. https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/nandurbar-model-how-a-maharashtra-district-is-beating-covid-with-its-oxygen-nurses-1800329-2021-05-08. Accessed August 14, 2021.Google Scholar
Lydon, E. Bulk medical oxygen systems. How the COVID-19 crisis can impact med-gas infrastructure Health Fac. Mgmt Mag. May 29, 2020. https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/3910-bulk-medical-oxygen-systems. Accessed June 30, 2021.Google Scholar
The White House. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration delivers emergency COVID-19 assistance for India [press release]. April 28, 2021. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-delivers-emergency-covid-19-assistance-for-india/. April 30, 2021.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Devereaux et al. supplementary material

Devereaux et al. supplementary material

Download Devereaux et al. supplementary material(File)
File 1.9 MB