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At Lotus Hospital, we are thoroughly prepared to take on even the most complicated cases. In order to deliver truly reliable intensive care, we leverage the most advanced equipment and proven approaches to critical case management. Our centre is equipped with an Adult High Dependency Unit and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
What is an intensive care unit?
An intensive care unit (ICU) is a specially designated hospital section where patients with severe illness or injury are kept. It is also called a critical care unit. A team of professionals delivers treatment who also track the patient around the clock and treat him or her. ICU personnel are specially equipped to use several advanced medical equipment to better track and treat the patients.
What is the difference between emergency medicine and Intensive care?
The long-term treatment of people who have a disease that affects their lives is carried out in intensive care whereas short-term care of such patients happens in emergency medicine. Doctors and nurses recover patients in the emergency room and then transport them for further treatment to the intensive care unit (ICU) or another hospital section.
What kind of medical treatment takes place in the ICU?
Patients are severely sick in the ICU. They are also connected to many monitors that allow healthcare professionals to track their vital signs on a minute-to-minute basis. Patients also have intravenous tubes (IVs) in their arms and legs so that drugs and fluids can be pumped straight into their veins. A tube is also put inside the body to remove and collect urine. Equipment such as breathing machines or dialysis machines are also connected to life support machines.
Is it possible to visit a member of my family or a friend who is in the ICU?
Yes, Family members can visit. It is essential to be part of the healing process for the family. The involvement of loved ones will encourage the patient. Privacy is maintained, noise and infections are managed. Also, there is a time limit as the patient needs time to rest. Sleep is also very necessary.
In the ICU, what kinds of medical problems are treated?
We treat patients in the ICU for several reasons. Shock, respiratory failure, and sepsis are the most common ones.
What does shock mean?
Shock is a situation in which vital organs don’t get enough oxygen because of low blood pressure. Many medical conditions, such as heart attacks, significant blood loss, severe trauma, or sepsis, can cause shock.
What is respiratory failure?
Respiratory failure results in dangerously low levels of oxygen or dangerously high levels of a waste gas called carbon dioxide. Lung conditions like pneumonia, emphysema, or smoke inhalation may result in respiratory failure. Diseases affecting the nerves and muscles that regulate breathing, such as drug and alcohol overdoses, can also cause respiratory failure.
When in the ICU, why should a patient be restrained?
Sometimes, disease or accident causes disorientation, confusion, or agitation in patients. We must be worried about protection when this happens. You may find restraints on the hands, ankles, or elsewhere of a patient. This ensures that patients do not pull on the equipment such as IV lines or tubes, or attempt to get out of bed while they are too sick to walk alone.