Uncover the secrets of ICU: Things in the intensive care unit!

When it comes to ICU, you may think it is a bit mysterious, or even scary. But ICU is actually a very special and important department in the hospital, dedicated to providing treatment and care for critically ill patients. Now, let's unveil the mystery of ICU.

1. Who needs to be admitted to the ICU?

ICU, or Intensive Care Unit, is a hospital that provides treatment and care for patients who are in critical condition or in potential danger, such as those who have just undergone major surgery, whose vital signs are unstable, or those who suffer from serious illnesses such as severe infection, shock, and poisoning.

2. What are the “black technologies” in the ICU?

The ICU is equipped with many high-tech medical equipment to monitor and maintain the patient's vital signs at all times. For example, the ECG monitor monitors the heartbeat in real time, the ventilator helps patients with breathing difficulties, and there are various infusion pumps and sputum removal machines to ensure that patients receive the most accurate and timely treatment.

3. Why are patients in the ICU filled with tubes?

These tubes are actually various catheters, such as endotracheal tubes to help patients breathe, central venous catheters for rapid infusion, arterial catheters for accurate blood pressure monitoring, gastric tubes for providing nutrition or draining fluids to patients who cannot eat on their own, and urinary catheters for monitoring and draining urine, etc. They are all important auxiliary tools for treatment.

Doctors are intubating the patient

4. What special care do patients in the ICU enjoy?

In the ICU, patients receive 24-hour uninterrupted professional care. Nurses closely monitor vital signs, manage various catheters, change and adjust medications, etc. In addition, to make patients more comfortable, nurses will help them clean their bodies, shave their beards, trim their nails, etc. More importantly, nurses will also pay attention to the mental health of patients, communicate with conscious patients who cannot speak in various ways, and give them comfort and encouragement.

5. Why can’t family members accompany the patient in the ICU?

This is mainly to ensure that patients receive the best treatment and reduce contact with the outside world, thereby reducing the risk of infection. Moreover, ICU medical care requires a high degree of concentration, and the presence of family members may affect work efficiency.

6. Why are ICU costs so high?

This is mainly because the ICU provides very professional and intensive medical services. The use of high-tech equipment, high-cost drugs and medical consumables, and 24-hour uninterrupted professional care all lead to rising costs. But remember, for critically ill patients, the ICU is a place of hope for them to regain their lives.

In general, the ICU is the "life guardian" in the hospital, providing the most professional treatment and care for critically ill patients. I hope that through these answers, you can better understand this mysterious and important department.

Chen Jinxiu, Tangshan Workers' Hospital, Hebei Province

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