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.
The Benefits of Early Mobility in the ICU
... a Real Epidemic of Bipolar Disease? Hello Fellows:My best friend in the ICU has long been diagnosed with bipolar disease. He was not going well, then ...
... less time on patients at the end of your ward rounds? I don't know about ICU, but in a mathematical modelling exercise we did on a course recently it ...
... How much would all that cctv cost and think of all the people one would have to employ to monitor the CCTV and tell off those not washing adequately ...