COVID-19 : les besoins en oxygène lors de la pandémie en Guadeloupe

The distribution of medical oxygen (O(2)) in Guadeloupe is provided by Air-Liquide in a quasi-monopoly situation. During the period from July 16 to September 12, 2021, the 4th wave of COVID-19 pandemic hit the territory with a peak above 2500 positive cases per 1,000,000 inhabitants leading to a saturating influx of oxygen-requiring patients in the territory's emergency services. The critical care offer of the department has increased to the benefit of the opening of ephemeral resuscitation units generating a growth of medical O(2) consumption exceeding the local availability capacities. Despite the increase in critical care capacity, medical triage in compliance with ethical rules adapted to exceptional situations was necessary. Although measures to secure the supply of medical O(2) from Martinique made it possible to avoid a shortage in hospitals, the distributors of individual concentrators were unable to satisfy all the requests for outpatient care before the arrival of a special allocation from Santé publique France. This feedback shows that the management of health crisis with a strong expression of respiratory failures imposes in insular environment an anticipation on the consequences of the foreseeable increase of medical O(2) consumption.