ICU

An intensive care unit (ICU) is a part of the hospital where very sick people get care. It could be a special unit for people with heart, breathing, or other serious medical problems, or a place to recover after surgery.

It may be scary to see relatives or loved ones in the ICU. There are lots of things happening that might be hard to understand at first.

But remember: You are an important part of the care team along with doctors, nurses, and specialists. The ICU staff can help you understand the care that your loved one is receiving. They can help you learn about the technology, medical words, rules, and procedures in the ICU. You know best what matters to your family. You will make the decisions about what is best for your family.

• Spending time with someone in the ICU can improve their stay in the hospital.
• You may not be able to have a full conversation, but you can talk to your loved one while they are in the ICU. You can also hold their hand and be near them.
• The staff will help you learn what you can do to care for your loved one.
• You may be able to bring special items like flowers, photos, or cards to the ICU.
• If you are there when nurses change shifts and doctors visit, you can get to know the whole care team. You can make sure that you have a voice in ongoing care. You can advocate for your loved one.
• You may have a very important role as the designated supporter for a person who is unable to make medical decisions. Some of the decisions you may need to make include what types of treatments or surgeries to pursue and how to plan for the end of life. The ICU staff will help provide support and as much information as they can to help you make these decisions.
• You can also help share information with extended family and friends. It will help the hospital staff if just a few people close to the patient serve as contacts. There are websites that can help you keep friends and family up-to-date on your loved one's condition.

An intensive care unit, or ICU, is full of special equipment to keep patients safe and as comfortable as possible. The ICU staff will answer your questions and tell you how these tools are helping your loved one.

Some machines will beep or display information all the time. Others have alarms on them for emergencies. Ask a member of the ICU staff if you are concerned about the information or alerts on any of the machines.

Read more about some of the equipment you may see in the ICU.

Breathing equipment

A ventilator is a machine that breathes for a person while the lungs are healing. It sends oxygen or air into the lungs through a thin tube and allows carbon dioxide to escape. The tube is placed in the windpipe through the nose or mouth.

A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine may be used when a ventilator isn't needed. It gently pushes oxygen or air into the lungs through a mask over the nose or mouth. People can breathe on their own with this extra help.

A nasal cannula is a device with two prongs. The prongs are placed in the nostrils when a person just needs more oxygen. The oxygen goes through the tubes and into the nostrils.

Oxygen may also be given through a mask. Oxygen flows through a tube and into a mask that is placed over the nose and mouth.

A tracheostomy or "trach" (say "trayk") tube is a breathing tube that goes directly into the windpipe. It is used when a person needs to be on a ventilator for a long time. It also helps remove mucus and fluid from the lungs. A surgeon will insert the trach tube.

Medicine, fluid, and nutrition

An intravenous (I.V.) site gives access to a vein. It may be placed in the back of the hand, foot, arm, leg, or scalp. One end of a tube is attached to the site. The other end may be attached to a medicine pump. It can also be used to take samples of blood for testing.

A central vascular access device (CVAD), or central line, is a long, thin tube that can be placed in the neck, chest, or arm. It is threaded through a vein until it reaches a larger vein near the heart. It can stay in place longer than an I.V. It can deliver fluids or medicines quickly if needed. It can also deliver nutrition.

Medicine pumps deliver exactly the right amount of medicine at the right time. The medicine flows through an I.V. site or central line.

Gastrostomy (G-tube) or nasogastric (NG-tube) feeding tubes deliver nutrients to a person who is unable to eat. These tubes are put directly into the stomach or through the nose into the stomach. They can also remove excess fluids from the stomach and deliver medicine.

Other equipment

An inflatable cuff on the arm or leg takes blood pressure readings. It sends the data to a blood pressure monitor.

Temperature probes keep track of the person's temperature.

A heart monitor has a sensor that attaches to the chest to track the heart rate.

A pulse oximeter clips to the end of the finger. It measures how much oxygen is in the blood.

A Foley, or indwelling, catheter drains urine when a person can't go to the bathroom on their own.

You can ask the ICU staff any questions that you have. For example, you might ask the nurse:

• Which doctors and specialists are helping us?
• When can we visit? Is there anything we should know about visiting our loved one?
• Do you know how to get in touch with me in an emergency?
• How can we help?

And you might ask a doctor:

• What kind of treatment are you providing?
• How will we know if it's working?
• What can I do to help?