Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine

Authors: Julia Panchuk, Stephanie Hobson, Jennifer Dahl, Aaron Moulson, Denise Jaworsky, SPRINT-SARI Canada Investigators and the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group
Publication date: July 2024

This descriptive study reviews clinical outcomes of individuals admitted to a northern Canadian, rural intensive care unit (ICU) with severe COVID-19. It reports data specific to Terrace, BC, that is part of an ongoing global effort to gather data and guide therapy. The aims of this study were to describe participants admitted to our ICU with COVID-19 and illuminate challenges faced by rural and remote centres. The study concluded COVID-19 significantly strained local ICU resources, necessitating high numbers of patient transfers. However, despite limited resources, patients in Terrace received contemporary guideline-based care for COVID-19 pneumonia. Future pandemic and surge capacity planning must ensure that rural and remote communities receive adequate additional resources to meet the anticipated needs of their local populations.