intensive care unit

Friendly

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Definition: The "intensive care unit" (often abbreviated as ICU) is a special area in a hospital where patients receive very close and special medical attention. It is designed for people who are very ill and need constant monitoring and treatment.

Usage Instructions:

• The term is used as a noun.
• It is often used in the context of hospitals and healthcare.

Example:

• "After the surgery, the doctors moved her to the intensive care unit for closer observation."

Advanced Usage:

• In a hospital, patients in the ICU typically have serious conditions, such as those recovering from major surgery, severe injuries, or life-threatening illnesses.
• Doctors and nurses in the ICU are specially trained to handle critical situations and use advanced medical equipment.

Word Variants:

• ICU: The abbreviation for "intensive care unit."
• Intensive care: This can refer to the care provided in the ICU, but it can also refer more generally to any type of concentrated medical attention.

Different Meanings:

• In a general sense, "intensive" means something that is thorough or extreme. For example, "intensive training" refers to a training program that is rigorous and demanding.

Synonyms:

• Critical care unit (CCU)
• High dependency unit (HDU)
• Intensive treatment unit (ITU)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "intensive care unit," but you might hear phrases like:
  • "He was on the edge after his accident" - meaning he was very close to a serious condition and needed ICU care.

Summary:

The intensive care unit is a critical part of a hospital where very sick patients get the best possible care.

Academic

Noun

1. a hospital unit staffed and equipped to provide intensive care

Synonyms

• icu