Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU)

Care in the ICCU differs from other hospital units.

• Seriously ill patients require close observation and monitoring. Specially trained nurses care for one or two patients at a time, each shift. ICCU doctors are specially trained critical care doctors.
• Patients may have special equipment in their room, depending on their unique situation and condition. The equipment in the ICCU may seem overwhelming. Patients are connected to machines to monitor their heart, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. Ventilators (breathing machines) assist some patients with breathing until they are able to breathe on their own.

Patients are admitted to the ICCU for a variety of reasons. Some patients need close monitoring immediately after a major surgical operation or serious head injury. Others may have problems with their lungs that require ventilator support with breathing. Patients may have heart and blood vessel problems (for example, very low or very high blood pressure, a heart attack, or an unstable heart rhythm) needing observation. Patients in the ICCU may have an imbalance in the level of chemicals, salts, or minerals in their bloodstream that require close monitoring as these levels are corrected. Also, patients may have a serious infection in their bodies that require specialized ICCU care.

Q.   What is the ICCU?

A.   The Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU) is a unit in the hospital where seriously ill patients are cared for by specially trained staff.

Q.   What Can I Expect in the ICCU?

A.   You can expect that the ICCU staff will keep you well-informed of any major changes in the patient’s condition or procedures that are being performed.