Abstract
The need for a neurological intensive care unit (ICU) evolved from the recognition that patients who had had brain surgery and those with brain injuries such as stroke had needs that were distinct from other critically ill patient populations. The identification of these needs prompted the creation of a special space or unit where these patients could be closely monitored. Because of the special needs of the population, the providers in these units became adept at caring for patients with neurologic and critical care conditions. These providers include nurses, physicians and mid-level providers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well as allied professionals such as respiratory, physical and occupational therapists.
A typical day in the life of a patient in the neuroscience ICU isn’t easy, but the frequent clinical neurologic examinations are still the best way to see how the brain is functioning and allow for early intervention, if necessary.
The development of modern technology has increased the number of treatment options as well as the complexity of the treatment paradigms and will continue to do so as more research is conducted in this fascinating field. This review is written for the families of our patients.
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McElheny, J., Gokhale, S., McDonagh, D.L. (2015). Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit. In: Agrawal, A., Britz, G. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Neurosurgical Conditions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06566-3_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06566-3_4
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