This year, October 19th-25th is Canadian Intensive Care Week. If you or any of your loved ones have been to an intensive care unit (ICU), you know how daunting it can be. In recognition of this week, we are going to be looking at what ICUs are like in Canada.
An ICU is a special section within a medical facility that’s used to treat critically ill patients. Medical staff usually move patients to an ICU after an emergency visit or surgery.
Not all hospitals in Canada operate an ICU since they require specialized equipment and staff. Patients in rural areas typically need to be transferred to ICUs that are in high-population regions. Meanwhile, specialized ICUs, such as neurocritical care, cardiac, pediatric, and burn units, are usually in university hospitals.
ICUs typically contain special equipment such as mechanical ventilators, life support devices, advanced monitoring systems, and ICU-specific drug pumps. Different units will have different equipment depending on budget, location, and staff training. In situations where an ICU doesn’t have the treatment or equipment that a critically ill patient needs, staff may transfer them to another facility.
Last, but certainly not least, I can’t talk about the ICU without bringing up the staff. After all, the ICU doctors and staff work around the clock to ensure patients are cared for. So here’s to the ICU staff and the units that take care of us in our time of need!
Diane Alavie, BSc. Phm.
