Organization Characteristics in South America

South America is a continent of uneven economic development, and this is reflected in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and the way they practice mechanical ventilation (MV). PICUs in countries which lack financial resources tend to be less technologically advanced, whereas those in wealthier nations can provide their patients with high-technology services and better quality care. In Guatemala, for example, the official data of the Panamerican Health Organization shows a rate of hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants of 0.6, while in Brazil it is 2.4. As a standard of comparison, the rate in Canada is 3.4 and in the USA it is 3.1 (Organizacion Panamericana de la Salud. 2008).