intensive care unit
intensive care unitA monitor showing information about heart function for multiple patients in an intensive care unit.
intensive care unit, hospital facility for care of critically ill patients at a more intensive level than is needed by other patients. Staffed by specialized personnel, the intensive care unit contains a complex assortment of monitors and life-support equipment that can sustain life in once-fatal situations, including adult respiratory distress syndrome, kidney failure, multiple organ failure, and sepsis (see septicemia).
This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Lewis.
Citation Information
Article Title:
intensive care unit
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
23 April 2024
Access Date:
May 09, 2026