What is ICU Full Form?

Intensive Care Unit (ICU full form) provides the highest level of treatment, monitoring and care to acutely ill patients suffering from potentially recoverable health conditions. A team of highly skilled doctors and nurses are designated to work for the treatment of patients in the ICU. The patients battling life-threatening health issues or injuries are admitted to the intensive care unit. Often, patients are shifted from emergency departments to ICU for 24x7 monitoring. The intensive care units are equipped with all the life support systems required for the treatment of patients. 

In every hospital and nursing home, there is an intensive care unit (ICU long-form) designated as a critical unit. Patients suffering from or prone to the risk of contracting organ failure are treated in this multidisciplinary and interprofessional equipped unit. Most patients who are at the risk of succumbing to multiple organ failures are provided supporting systems in the ICU. The intensive care unit (a long-form of ICU) is specifically designed to cater for patients by supporting or replacing the functions of several organs or organ systems like lungs, kidneys, or cardiovascular system. This underscores the significance of the intensive care unit in hospitals and nursing homes.

What is The Significance of ICU?

The main objective of an intensive care unit (a long-form of ICU) is to monitor critically ill patients continuously throughout the day and night. Such patients are treated mainly by maintaining the regular physiological functions of failed or dysfunctional organ systems through various equipment in the ICU. Hence, any further deterioration of the patient’s health condition is likely to be controlled. The facilities in an ICU help to lower the morbidity in acutely ill patients and propel their recovery. The intensive care unit (full form for ICU) is a separate section altogether in a medical facility centre. This unit is self-contained, with various advanced biomedical equipment so that patients can be closely monitored and treated with rapid intervention whenever required. Most intensive care facilities are delivered to patients in a secondary-care setup. However, these healthcare facilities are available in primary and tertiary setup as well. 

Types of ICU                  

Certain intensive care units (ICU full form hospitals) are particularly designed for paediatrics, whereas, some are dedicated to the treatment of severe burns, coronary issues, traumas, neurological issues, or neonatal treatment. On the basis of the specific health conditions and age-groups of patients being treated in intensive care units (ICU medical full form), they can be classified into the following four types.

• Neonatal ICU:

The intensive care unit dedicated to the treatment of premature and critically risked infants is termed the neonatal intensive care unit. Often due to critical pregnancy-related issues, infants are delivered at a premature stage. Some infants succumb to high-risk congenital disorders or other health complications right after birth. These infants are treated in incubation units. The neonatal intensive care units are designed for such critical treat ment.  

• Pediatric ICU: 

The pediatric intensive care units are solely equipped for the treatment of children of various age groups. Children diagnosed with dysfunctional organ systems are admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Also, those children who face post-operative health risks are kept in this unit for 24x7 monitoring and rapid intervention treatment. It helps to prevent them from deteriorating any further or succumbing to any postoperative critical dysfunction.   

• Medical ICU:

The medical intensive care unit is dedicated to the treatment of adults who are diagnosed with severe medical disorders. Patients suffering from organ dysfunction or failure are admitted and treated in this intensive care unit. They are kept under 24x7 surveillance so that doctors can observe their condition closely. Common examples of such high-risk diseases are advanced-stage cancer, respiratory failure, diabetic ketoacidosis, cardiac arrest, internal bleeding, sepsis, comatose, etc.  

• Surgical ICU:

Patients are admitted to the surgical intensive care unit for postoperative monitoring and treatment. After undergoing any major surgery patients are generally kept in the ICU under observation while they recover from the surgery. It is thoroughly monitored if their physiological functions are impacted due to the surgery and they are provided with proper support systems for any irregular pattern in the functioning of their organ systems.   

What are the equipments used in ICU?

As already discussed, the intensive care units (ICU medical full form) aim at providing partial or complete life support to critically ill patients. The equipment in the intensive care units makes self-sustainable support systems for organ failure, such as impaired lung functions, or dysfunctional kidneys or certain issues in the functioning of the heart, etc. 

Here’s a list of the equipment that is usually present in the intensive care units.

• BIPAP, CPAP and respiratory support systems  

• Mechanical ventilators

• Suction machines 

• Cardiac Monitors 

• Syringe Pumps (a syringe is used to provide medicine to the patient through titrations)

• Oxygen support system

• Infusion pumps (the supply of medication through the infusion drip helps to regulate and maintain the required supply of the medication by titration in a drip)

• Dialysis machine

• Defibrillator

• Feeding tubes

• External pacemakers

• ECG

• Blood warmer

• Anaesthesia machines

• Patient monitor

The intensive care units make an extremely important department in any hospital or nursing home. There can be multiple intensive care units in a nursing home so that more people can be treated with life support systems and the mortality rate is lowered. Mostly, visitors are seldom allowed to enter these units for the safety of patients. Even if visitors are allowed to meet the patients, there are certain precautions that are to be taken, such as removing the shoes and covering the feet with medicated pouches, sanitizing hands, etc. Patients are transferred from the ICU to the general ward after they are out of danger.