ICU capacity strained at LBJ and Ben Taub hospitals due in part to COVID-19

Thursday, May 21, 2020
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Intensive care units at two of Harris County's hospitals are at or near capacity, and the COVID-19 crisis is only adding to the problem.

The ICU at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in northeast Houston was at 100 percent capacity Thursday morning, according to system officials.
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Ben Taub hospital was at 90 percent capacity Thursday, which means there is at risk of running out of beds in its ICU.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, both facilities reported a high capacity in ICUs.

RELATED: ICU use up sharply in southeast Texas since April 1
ICU use up sharply in Texas since April 1


Both hospitals are almost always full but are now treating about 20 percent of their patients for COVID-19.



The two facilities are owned and operated by Harris Health System, a public agency that serves all Harris County residents.

RELATED: Harris County stay-at-home order extended

Harris Health Systems CEO Esmaeil Porsa said there are about 51 COVID-19 patients across the Harris Health System hospitals and administrators have been watching the virus cases steadily increase.
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Both LBJ and Ben Taub are on different levels of diversions, meaning some patients are being taken to other hospitals.

"We have been near capacity for a while. Over the last couple of days, it has been a little worse," Porsa said. "We have seen a little bump in the number of patients and also the total number of COVID-19 patients."

ABC13 has been told patient care is not suffering, but patients who need intensive care will likely have to go to other facilities.

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