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What Does It Mean When A Close One Is Admitted To An ICU? Things You Must Know Before Entering Intensive Care Unit

Most patients might not be conscious or in a semi-conscious state, and the sight can be emotionally overwhelming. You must be mentally prepared for it

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Written By: Kashish Sharma | Published : January 10, 2023 9:19 PM IST

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A person is often admitted to ICU when their health condition is not stable and fast-changing. They might be in need of some technical assistance to support basic life functions

When a loved one is admitted to an ICU, it is natural for you to stress. A major accident or disease or injury has resulted in their admission there. When a person is in the intensive care unit, their loved ones are often worried about the outcome and might have many questions to ask their healthcare provider. While most people understand the seriousness of the situation, others still wonder what it might truly mean for a person to need intensive care. A person is often admitted to ICU when their health condition is not stable and fast-changing. They might be in need of some technical assistance to support basic life functions such as breathing, the beating of the heart and others.

Most people admitted to an ICU have problems with more than one organ. Unlike emergency rooms, an intensive care unit has a controlled environment and can offer long-term management. Patients in an ICU have an unpredictable health conditions. There might be a need to closely observe these patients, hence, one can see a lot of monitors displaying the vital values of a patient. One can also observe many tubes around the patient. Many patients might also have lower consciousness and these tubes might be used to feed them or eliminate waste.

What to expect in an ICU?

A visit to ICU is often not pleasant. Unlike an emergency room, the intensive care unit is silent but you might hear the continuous beeping of machines and long winding tubes around the patient. Many patients might not be in a completely conscious state but a rather dreamy or unconscious state. Many might also be undergoing some important therapies that require close monitoring like the administration of intravenous fluids to reverse electrolyte imbalance. The following are some things particular to an intensive care unit-

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  1. A ventilator (a machine) that will help the patients to breathe. It will make use of a tube that will be inserted into a patient's throat through a small cut.
  2. There will be monitoring devices that will be displaying vital values like heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation in the blood and others.
  3. You might spot IVs that might be useful in feeding the patient or while administering medications.
  4. You might see catheters that will help in the elimination of urine from the patient's body.

What must be your role when a loved one is in ICU?

The first thing to understand about a patient admitted to an ICU is that they are critical and under observation. Another thing to understand is that admission to the intensive care unit doesn't necessarily mean a bad outcome. It means the health of your loved one is unpredictable and was in need of external assistance. They might come back absolutely healthy. The following are certain things you must know if a loved one is in ICU-

  1. Expect to get visiting hours. Unlike a hospital room, you won't be allowed to see your patient at all times.
  2. Most people in ICU are critically ill. Make sure you maintain personal hygiene before entering the unit.
  3. Avoid visiting an ICU if you are sick.
  4. Most patients might not be conscious, and the sight can be emotionally overwhelming. You must be mentally prepared for it.
  5. Be ready to hear some unpleasant beeps.
  6. Don't carry any stuff like flowers or other things to the unit as they might be unhygienic
  7. You can still talk to them even if they don't respond. They might be able to hear you. They might feel emotional well on hearing familiar voices.
  8. Make it a regular habit to take regular updates of your loved one from the attending staff
  9. You must familiarize yourself with the attending medical team
  10. You must ask about the course of recovery and how long it might take for your patient to recover.
Kashish Sharma

Kashish Sharma

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