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intensive care unit
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intensive care unit intensive care unit
Learn about the use of modern technology in monitoring infant brain waves for signs of distress
Intensive care unit
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intensive care unit
intensive care unit An intensive care unit.

intensive care unit

medicine
Also known as: ICU, critical care unit
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

News •

Lien Foundation gives $3.93m to TTSH, NUH to extend early palliative care to ICU patients who need it • May 5, 2026, 7:45 AM ET (Straits Times)
Noninvasive brain monitoring reveals hidden oxygen deprivation in ICU patients • Apr. 27, 2026, 11:18 PM ET (News-Medical)
Their infant son had to spend several days in the ICU. Then his medical records went missing • Apr. 26, 2026, 7:00 PM ET (CBC)
Child wounded in Bnei Brak missile strike dies after weeks in ICU • Apr. 24, 2026, 5:02 PM ET (Jerusalem Post)
Family files lawsuit after man dies in care of telehealth ICU doctor | CNN • Apr. 9, 2026, 6:00 AM ET (CNN)
intensive care unit
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intensive care unitA monitor showing information about heart function for multiple patients in an intensive care unit.
Learn about the use of modern technology in monitoring infant brain waves for signs of distress
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Learn about the use of modern technology in monitoring infant brain waves for signs of distressInfant brain waves being monitored for signs of distress at a neonatal intensive care unit.
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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.