What is Critical Care ?
Critical care is one of the most important departments in any hospital. Critical care has become a super-speciality, standing above anaesthesia, pulmonology, general medicine and emergency medicine. We care for critically ill patients who are on the verge of death. With our tireless efforts and dynamic care, we can bring positive health results to terminally ill patients. So a good critical care team is one of the biggest investments a hospital can make. They can treat any case, from a simple fever to ECMO. A skilled critical care team can work wonders in your hospital or with your patient.
What do we do ?
The critical care team is trained in all life-saving emergency procedures such as intubation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cardiac arrest), invasive access (central line/ arterial line/ pulmonary arterial catheter, PICC line, VYGON placement ), Drain placements such as Intercoastal drain, pericardial drains, pleural drains, ascitic drains, etc., ventilation management, pruning, ECMO and its management, percutaneous/surgical tracheostomies, Cardic pacing, IABP placement. In doing so, we dynamically save patient's lives. Intensive care physicians stand between the life and death of patients.
We also perform diagnostic procedures like lumbar puncture (CSF analysis), indirect laryngoscopy, diagnostic ascitic tap, BAL (bronchoalveolar lavage) by bronchoscopy, monitor anaesthesia care for MRI / CT scan/endoscopy etc.,
What happens inside an ICU ?
In a critical care unit, we use many different pieces of equipment, including:
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Catheters flexible tubes that are used to carry fluids into the body or to drain fluids out of the body
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Dialysis machines ("artificial kidneys") for people with kidney failure
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Feeding tubes that supply you with nutrients
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Intravenous (IV) tubes that give you fluids and medicines
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Machines that check your vital signs and show them on monitors
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Oxygen therapy gives you the extra oxygen to breathe
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Tracheostomy tubes that aid breathing. The tube is inserted into your windpipe through a surgically made hole in the front of your neck.
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Ventilators ( Breathing machines ) , move air in and out of your lungs. They are designed for people who suffer from shortness of breath.
These devices can keep you alive, but many of them can also increase the risk of infection. Sometimes people in an intensive care unit cannot communicate. It is important to have a living will. It helps your healthcare providers and family members to make important decisions, including end-of-life decisions if you are no longer able to do so.