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  • Critical Care/Intensive Care - Disease Topic Overview

    Intensive care is the hospital based specialty dedicated to treating critically ill and high risk patients who require aggressive treatment and continuous monitoring.1 Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are usually complex, with illnesses involving multiple systems and in some cases multiple diseases.1

    The main functions of ICUs can be divided into two groups; firstly treatment of emergency patients with potentially reversible organ damage. Secondly to provide organ function support and vital monitoring of patients who have undergone elective surgery with the potential for organ failure.2

    In the UK in 2008 there were only 3498 critical care beds; 1970 in ICUs and 1528 in high-dependency units (HDUs). This equates to only 8.6 beds per 100,000 people.3 For this reason the use of ICU and HDU beds are only reserved for those who will benefit significantly from them.

    Elective ICU patients are admitted as a precaution, rather than because immediate treatment is required. Patients routinely receive intensive care treatment following cardiac surgery and neurosurgery.4 In contrast, emergency patients are admitted requiring immediate treatment. This may be due to trauma or an unexpected surgical complication.

    1. Varon J. et al. Handbook of Critical and Intensive Care Medicine. Springer. 2010 : 422 pages.
    2. Takala J. et al. What is Critical Care Medicine. Clinical Critical Care Medicine. Elsevier Ltd. 2006 : xv-xvi.
    3. Williams C. et al. Criteria for ICU Admission and Severity of Illness Scoring. Surgery (Oxford). May 2009 ; 27 (5) : 201-206.
    4. Weissman C. et al. Who Recieves Postoperative Intensive and Intermediate Care?. Journal of Clinical Anaesthesia. June 2008 ; 20 (4) : 263-270.

Latest Multi Media

The Benefits of Early Mobility in the ICU

Critical Care/Intensive Care Drug Data - A-Z English


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This study will assess the effect of vildagliptin on left ventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure (NYHA Class I-III). Effect on HbA1c and overall safety and tolerability will also be assessed.
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Latest Journal Publications

Journal of Hospital Infection
Antibiotics and antiseptics have the potential to influence carriage and transmission of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), although effects are likely to be complex, particularly in a setting where multiple agents are used. Here admission and weekly MRSA screens and daily antibiotic and antiseptic prescribing data from 544 MRSA carriers on an intensive care unit (ICU) are used to determine the effect of these agents on short-term within-host MRSA carriage dynamics. Longitudinal data were analysed using Markov models allowing patients to move between two states: MRSA positive (detectable MRSA carriage) and MRSA negative (no detectable carriage). The effect of concurrent systemic antibiotic and topical chlorhexidine (CHX) on movement between these states was assessed. CHX targeted to MRSA screen carriage sites increased transition from culture positive to negative and there was also weaker evidence that it decreased subsequent transition from negative back to positive. In contrast, there was only weak and inconsistent evidence that any antibiotic influenced transition in either direction. For example, whereas univariate analysis found quinolones to be strongly associated with both increased risk of losing and then reacquiring MRSA carriage over time intervals of one day, no effect was seen with weekly models. Similar studies are required to determine the generalisability of these findings.
Current treatment options in cardiovascular medicine
Pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) is common to a variety of conditions occurring in infants and children presenting to the intensive care unit. A fundamental understanding of the response of the right ventricle to an increase in afterload and the clinical syndromes responsible for PHTN is essential for managing patients with PHTN and critical heart disease. There are important distinguishing features between PHTN syndromes, and although one form of PHTN may predominate, often more than one mechanism of PHTN is contributing to the pathophysiologic state. Thus, it is imperative to tailor therapies accordingly in order to optimize outcomes.

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Critical Care/Intensive Care