Could ICU bed shortages be driving unnecessary admissions?
NCT ID NCT07768410
First seen Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study investigates whether the number of available beds in an intensive care unit (ICU) influences decisions to admit patients. Researchers will review records from 1,500 patients admitted to a postoperative ICU, comparing their severity of illness scores with bed availability at the time of admission. The goal is to see if 'supply-induced demand' occurs in critical care and whether it affects patient mortality.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- This could reveal whether the number of available ICU beds influences admission decisions, potentially leading to better resource allocation and patient care.
- What could go wrong
- As a retrospective, single-center study, it can only show associations, not cause and effect. Results may not apply to other hospitals or healthcare systems.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 1,500 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Post-operative Intensive Care, St. Eugenio Hospital, Rome, Italy
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients admitted to the ICU from November 2018 to November 2025 Exclusion Criteria: * Incomplete documentation
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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St. Eugenio Hospital
Rome, 00144, Italy
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