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What is intensive care? hospitals may have ICUs that cater to a specific medical speciality or patient , what all departments?

What are the common conditions requiring critical care?What are the Levels of Care ?

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Question added by Dhanya Manhjeri , ER STAFF NURSE ( HAAD –RN) , LLH HOSPITAL , MUSSAFAH , ABU DHABI
Date Posted: 2013/07/18
Dhanya Manhjeri
by Dhanya Manhjeri , ER STAFF NURSE ( HAAD –RN) , LLH HOSPITAL , MUSSAFAH , ABU DHABI

Patients with critical illness suffer from failure of one or more of their systems such as the heart, lung or kidneys.
Heart attack, stroke, poisoning, pneumonia, surgical complications, major trauma as a result of road traffic accidents, a fall, burns, an industrial accident or violence are all examples of critical illnesses.
Patients recovering from a major operation are also admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).
There are many reasons a person may need care in an ICU and there are some common conditions that either bring a patient to the ICU or develop while the patient is in the unit.
Shock can occur when the organs of the body do not get enough oxygen and blood flow for them to function normally.
Respiratory failure occurs when the lungs do not work effectively.
Respiratory failure can be caused by a variety of conditions such as heart failure, pneumonia and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
When it is severe it can be called "acute lung injury" or most severe of all ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome).
Infections are a common cause of ICU admission and can develop for many reasons while a patient is in the ICU.
Usually the illness that has brought the patient to the ICU has weakened them and lessened their ability to fight off infections.
An infection, as well as age and pre-existing medical conditions affecting the patient, may put them at risk of uncontrolled inflammation, which is called sepsis.
Overwhelming infection that causes at least one acute organ dysfunction is called severe sepsis.
This occurs when the inflammatory response begins to affect the basic functions of the body (renal kidney failure and acute respiratory failure, to name two), and the patient becomes very sick.

rawan fathi diab
by rawan fathi diab , nursing , alnadem

Care of the critically sick patients is intensive care which need constant monitoring.
Patients with a variety of medical illnesses are cared for by highly trained intensivists, medical officers and critical care registered nurses who provide around the clock care.
The common condition is, to shift the patient to ICU in which patient need high-quality care supported by state of the art equipment due to any illness.

ntensive care units (ICU), also called critical care or intensive therapy departments, are sections within a hospital that look after patients whose conditions are life-threatening and need constant, close monitoring and support from equipment and medication to keep normal body functions going.
They have higher levels of staffing, specialist monitoring and treatment equipment only available in these areas and the staff are highly trained in caring for the most severely ill patients.
Some hospitals have areas called high dependency units (HDU) and some specialist units have high dependency areas within the ICU.
Hospitals differ in what they call these areas but their role and expertise is the same.
Some patients are in an ICU for shorter periods of time than others, depending on the extent of their illness or injury.
They may be admitted either as a planned admission after major surgery or as an emergency admission following an acute illness.
As patients get better and need less intensive care, they are sometimes transferred to a high dependency unit (HDU) and then to a general ward somewhere else in the hospital.
Someone who is seriously ill or who has suffered a serious injury is usually admitted first to the Emergency Department (ED) of a hospital.
Here, the emergency team assess and stabilise the patient.
If the patient's condition is life-threatening, the patient is transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) because he or she needs continuous observation, treatment and specialised care.
Once someone is admitted to critical care it is a time of great stress and worry.
It might help to know what to expect.
ICUs vary in size from one hospital to the next.
Some are small with about six beds.
Others may have more than double this number.
You should expect a high level of activity round the clock.
Noise levels are likely to be higher than on a general hospital ward largely because of the operation of the equipment, often beeping or sounding an alarm.
If you do hear an alarm it doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong, just that there's something the staff need to be aware of.
Staff will be able to explain the equipment and noises to you should you have concerns about the alarms.
Intensive care units in the United Kingdom are run and staffed by specialists trained in intensive care.
Once a patient is admitted to the unit the intensive care team will manage the care of the patient in consultation with the original team that admitted the patient to the hospital and any other specialists that they think can help to aid the patient's recovery.
The intensive care doctors and nurses will give the best overview and general update on the patient, but they may refer relatives to the specialist teams for discussion of certain aspects of care.
Once a patient has recovered and is well enough to be transferred to the ward their care will be handed over to the ward team.
Intensive care teams often continue to visit patients on the ward and some units offer follow up clinics to look for problems that are specific to patients who have had long stays and been severely unwell.
Visiting in intensive care is often very flexible, being a difficult time for families.
However there will be times when you will be asked to wait because of interventions being carried out or because of other patients being very unwell.
The number of people around a bed at one time will be limited for the patient's safety.
Infection control is very important in intensive care as patients who are very unwell are very susceptible to infection, and visitors are required to comply with local hygiene policies.
Sometimes patients must be transferred to other hospitals or transferred to the ordinary wards, and this can happen at any time although this should be done during the day whenever possible.
The staff have to make tough decisions about where a patient can be best cared for and sometimes which patient can best cope with being transferred.
These decisions are always made by the most senior doctors and nurses.
It is now recognised that critical illness places not only physiological stress on the body but also severe psychological stress on both patients, their families and close friends.
Being critically ill is a major life event and is inevitably going to have a big impact on all involved, particularly the patient.

ANASTASIA ARGYROPOULOU
by ANASTASIA ARGYROPOULOU , WARD MANAGER , HELLENIC NAVY

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a unit in the hospital where seriously ill patients are cared for by specially trained staff.
The ICU staff includes doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, clinical nurse specialists, pharmacists, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants maybe and dietitians.
Care in the ICU differs from other hospital units.
•Seriously ill patients require close observation and monitoring.
Specially trained nurses care for one or two patients at a time, each shift.
ICU doctors are specially trained critical care doctors.
•Patients may have special equipment in their room, depending on their unique situation and condition.
The equipment in the ICU may seem overwhelming.
Patients are connected to machines to monitor their heart, blood pressure, and rthere priority to patients who may be admitted to a respiratory rate.
Ventilators (breathing machines) assist some patients with breathing until they are able to breathe on their own.
Patients are admitted to the ICU for a variety of reasons.
Some patients need close monitoring immediately after a major surgical operation or serious head injury.
Others may have problems with their lungs that require ventilator support with breathing.
Patients may have heart and blood vessel problems (for example, very low or very high blood pressure, a heart attack, or an unstable heart rhythm) needing observation.
Is there priority to patients who may be admitted to a ICU Indeed it is a difficult ethical question.
It is very often the need for available bed for monitoring patients who must have a serious surgery and there is not existing free bed .
So that, based on my experience surgical medical specialties should have special intensive care unit like high dependency unit (HDU), cardiologists need a specific cardiologic unit and a general intensive care unit for the other medical specialties or departments of a hospital.

Intensive care unit is where the very ill patients specially those who has life-threatening cases who's in need of a very intense care from the word itself "Intensive Care".
It is a specialized area on hospitals wherein there is a complete machines and paraphernalias that prepared in order to render care and help the sick patient.
It is where the nurse carefully and surely monitor such as IV fluid, catheter, vital signs and other machines that is attached to a patient.
The health team that is involved in this area are those who are specially trained staffs.
One of their role is to keep the patient alive and reduce risks of infection thus maintaning the sterility of the said area.

Care of the critically sick patients is intensive care which need constant monitoring.
Patients with a variety of medical illnesses are cared for by highly trained intensivists, medical officers and critical care registered nurses who provide around the clock care.
The common condition is, to shift the patient to ICU in which patient need high-quality care supported by state of the art equipment due to any illness.

marwan abdalaziz
by marwan abdalaziz , Clinic Assistant Manager , International Medical Corps ( IMC )

.Unit is important for the care of patients suffering from serious diseases and consists of a medical team integrated headed by a specialist doctor (Head of Section) in addition to a nurse and a doctor of physiotherapy, and a specialist for anesthesia, all of these are found to monitor the patient's condition-hour entry to the hospital and even leaving ..
Deal with the needs of surgery sharp, Kasabat the the life-threatening, or acute appendicitis or bottleneck herniations.
B) deal with the needs may be medical or surgical life-threatening or threaten party, cardiac muscle Kahchaouat of acute or acute cerebrovascular accidents, or the evaluation of patients with abdominal pain.
C) ambulatory care at the medical center provides medical care outside of the emergency department at the hospital, in the center of the mobile is covered.
Examples include evaluate ankle Mradwd or when the baby fever.
D) Treatment of people with acute needs by providing specific treatment.
Such as providing intravenous fluids to a patient with critically before being transferred to the operating room.
E) care provided in the community until the patient reaches a formal institution for health care are able to provide quality care.
Examples include the care of the ambulance crew or evaluation of acute health problems from local providers of health care.
F) specialized care patients, their continued life-threatening and require comprehensive care and constant monitoring, and intensive care units, usually.
Examples include patients with severe respiratory problems requiring endotracheal intubation and others injured Bnob the epileptic caused by cerebral malaria.
Often provide health care services at three levels: Primary health care centers, which must be spread in every community, even if small Then hospitals suburbs (areas) and obstetric centers in different regions Then the central specialized hospitals in major cities Basic health services * Educate citizens and guide them healthy And develop appropriate solutions to control and eliminate health problems And basic sanitation to the environment and in particular provide drinking water And ensure good nutrition And provide maternal and child health services Vaccination and immunization against infectious diseases, especially diseases of six children And control of communicable diseases (infectious and endemic) and control of the spread As well as the treatment of common diseases in the community The basic surgical procedure Provision of essential drugs

ahmed eyad salem alrawashdeh
by ahmed eyad salem alrawashdeh , ممرض قانوني , المدينه العربيه للرعايه الشامله

It is very often the need for available bed for monitoring patients who must have a serious surgery and there is not existing free bed .
So that, based on my experience surgical medical specialties should have special intensive care unit like high dependency unit (HDU), cardiologists need a specific cardiologic unit and a general intensive care unit for the other medical specialties or departments of a hospital.

sayed hussien
by sayed hussien , فني خدمات طبية عاجلة وطوارئ , اسعاف البحيرة

ER

انس العلي
by انس العلي , Perfusionist , King abdullah university hospital

  ntensive care units (ICU), also called critical care or intensive therapy departments, are sections within a hospital that look after patients whose conditions are life-threatening and need constant, close monitoring and support from equipment and medication to keep normal body functions going.
They have higher levels of staffing, specialist monitoring and treatment equipment only available in these areas and the staff are highly trained in caring for the most severely ill patients.
Some hospitals have areas called high dependency units (HDU) and some specialist units have high dependency areas within the ICU.
Hospitals differ in what they call these areas but their role and expertise is the same.
Some patients are in an ICU for shorter periods of time than others, depending on the extent of their illness or injury.
They may be admitted either as a planned admission after major surgery or as an emergency admission following an acute illness.
As patients get better and need less intensive care, they are sometimes transferred to a high dependency unit (HDU) and then to a general ward somewhere else in the hospital.
Someone who is seriously ill or who has suffered a serious injury is usually admitted first to the Emergency Department (ED) of a hospital.
Here, the emergency team assess and stabilise the patient.
If the patient's condition is life-threatening, the patient is transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) because he or she needs continuous observation, treatment and specialised care.
Once someone is admitted to critical care it is a time of great stress and worry.
It might help to know what to expect.
ICUs vary in size from one hospital to the next.
Some are small with about six beds.
Others may have more than double this number.
You should expect a high level of activity round the clock.
Noise levels are likely to be higher than on a general hospital ward largely because of the operation of the equipment, often beeping or sounding an alarm.
If you do hear an alarm it doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong, just that there's something the staff need to be aware of.
Staff will be able to explain the equipment and noises to you should you have concerns about the alarms.
Intensive care units in the United Kingdom are run and staffed by specialists trained in intensive care.
Once a patient is admitted to the unit the intensive care team will manage the care of the patient in consultation with the original team that admitted the patient to the hospital and any other specialists that they think can help to aid the patient's recovery.
The intensive care doctors and nurses will give the best overview and general update on the patient, but they may refer relatives to the specialist teams for discussion of certain aspects of care.
Once a patient has recovered and is well enough to be transferred to the ward their care will be handed over to the ward team.
Intensive care teams often continue to visit patients on the ward and some units offer follow up clinics to look for problems that are specific to patients who have had long stays and been severely unwell.
Visiting in intensive care is often very flexible, being a difficult time for families.
However there will be times when you will be asked to wait because of interventions being carried out or because of other patients being very unwell.
The number of people around a bed at one time will be limited for the patient's safety.
Infection control is very important in intensive care as patients who are very unwell are very susceptible to infection, and visitors are required to comply with local hygiene policies.
Sometimes patients must be transferred to other hospitals or transferred to the ordinary wards, and this can happen at any time although this should be done during the day whenever possible.
The staff have to make tough decisions about where a patient can be best cared for and sometimes which patient can best cope with being transferred.
These decisions are always made by the most senior doctors and nurses.
It is now recognised that critical illness places not only physiological stress on the body but also severe psychological stress on both patients, their families and close friends.
Being critically ill is a major life event and is inevitably going to have a big impact on all involved, particularly the patient.

intensive care units (ICUs).

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