Critical care is a specialised medical treatment that provides treatment to people who are suffering from serious, possibly life-threatening illnesses or injuries. The BIG Apollo Spectra Hospital, a multispecialty critical care facility located in Agamkuan, Patna, provides care to these patients through close observation, repeat clinical assessments, and coordinated care from a dedicated team. Patients who are critically ill may require 24-hour monitoring as their conditions may change quickly (within hours) or even very rapidly (within minutes).
Examples of situations where a higher level of medical attention is required include breathing problems that are life-threatening, serious infections, major injuries, complications from strokes and/or cardiac emergencies. This does not mean that every person suffering from one of the above conditions requires immediate admission to an ICU. A patient's required level of treatment will depend upon his/her physical state and the treating team's evaluation of the situation at the time of the event.
If you or a family member needs an urgent
evaluation, you can reach the hospital's emergency line directly at
0612-7131415. For planned consultations, you can also book a visit with the
critical care unit in Patna in advance, or search for critical care near me if
you are looking for the nearest facility right now.
Critical care medicine refers to assessment and treatment of patients with severe illnesses or injuries for which normal routine medical therapies are insufficient. It is often associated with cases of rapid deterioration in patients. Critical care specialists coordinate your treatment and monitor you closely till recovery.
The general ward of a hospital and the
intensive care unit are not the same. Patients in the intensive care area are
constantly and even continuously monitored and certain organs, like the lungs
and heart, or even kidneys, are being supported in some cases. Not every
seriously ill patient needs intensive care, it depends on the degree of
illness, the level of stability and the degree of support a patient needs. That
is where the intensive care unit (ICU) comes in, the department of the hospital
especially equipped for this kind of care.
Specialist-led assessment: Treatment of seriously ill patients is determined by their specific illness and decided by specialists in critical care medicine.
Multispecialty coordination: Serious illnesses with multi-organ system involvement can be managed by critical care with involvement of other medical and surgical departments as required.
Monitoring & reassessment: The condition of a seriously ill patient can decline very rapidly and therefore repeated clinical evaluation is a fundamental aspect of their care.
Emergency coordination: Assessment in the emergency area is closely linked to the decision to escalate care to a higher level of care as necessary.
Family Communication: Relatives are kept informed about the condition of the patient, the treatment given and the course of recovery.
Continuity of care: Care planning extends from initial stabilisation through to transfer, recovery, or further specialist treatment, drawing on the hospital's broader range of hospital services where needed.
Critical care in Patna is not just about good
doctors, but also about proper infrastructure - 24/7 presence of ICU doctors
and infection control systems built into daily practice.
Knowing when conditions need close monitoring
helps families understand a patient’s condition but a clinical assessment is
needed to determine the appropriate care for an individual.
Some severe respiratory problems can be treated
with full respiratory support but others need only close monitoring. There are
many severe respiratory problems and the way they present can give an
indication of how much support is needed.
Heart attacks and cardiac failures are life-threatening emergencies that require immediate treatment. Patients with severe
heart emergencies are often treated in the intensive care unit but may receive
cardiac treatments from the cardiology
department within the hospital.
Most serious infections don’t develop into
sepsis but when they do, they can cause the patient’s condition to deteriorate
very quickly and require immediate treatment in an Intensive Care Unit. Serious
infections can sometimes affect blood pressure, breathing, kidney function, or
other organs.
Severe stroke, brain hemorrhage or serious
deterioration of patients with reduced consciousness who also develop respiratory
problems may require intensive care. A stroke emergency needs quick action and
treatment.
Major trauma and some serious post-operative complications may require close observation or organ support while the body stabilises. The exact approach depends on the nature of the injury or complication.
These categories are provided as warnings and
should not be used as a means of self-diagnosis. Symptoms that suggest
emergency conditions are developing need to be assessed by a qualified
healthcare professional as soon as possible.
The decision to move a patient into
critical care is based on their condition, vital signs, risk of deterioration,
and whether they need close monitoring or organ support. It is not based on a
diagnosis label alone.
Broad warning signs include:
●
severe difficulty breathing,
●
reduced consciousness,
●
sudden confusion,
●
signs of shock, or a serious
illness that is worsening rapidly.
Many patients need to receive immediate emergency assessment and have their treatment managed by their treating team before the issue of whether they require care in ICU is determined.
It is best left to the treating team of
qualified medical professionals to make this decision. A detailed list of
symptoms will not be sufficient to determine whether an individual requires
admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and too many variables influence a full
clinical picture of the illness. Severe or deteriorating symptoms need to be
assessed as soon as possible by emergency services.
Intensive Monitoring
Specialists continuously monitor and chart vital parameters, for example, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate for early signs of change or decline rather than waiting for the next formal assessment.
Respiratory Support
Some patients need simple oxygen therapy while others need more complex ventilation when they are unable to breathe on their own. The degree to which lungs are affected determines the type of respiratory support a patient needs.
Management of Unstable Vital Functions
Support of the critical life processes such as respiration, circulation, and other vital functions are run in addition to specific treatment of the underlying cause of the critically ill patient’s illness.
Coordinated Specialist Care
A critical care doctor may work with a number of other specialists such as cardiac, neurological or surgical as required by the individual patient's condition.
Ongoing Reassessment and Escalation
Care plans are changed as a patient’s condition alters and may include additional diagnostics, further treatment or a transfer to a different care setting as required.
The patients come into critical care typically
through the emergency and trauma centre, where they are
first assessed by the ED physician, and then it is determined if that patient’s
care needs to be escalated.
1. Initial assessment: The initial assessment of the patient's condition, including review of their clinical history and vital signs, takes place as soon as possible after admission to the ICU.
2. Investigations: The selection of appropriate tests are done for the suspected disease, and as per the individual patient’s needs, and a routine package of tests is not applied for all patients.
3. Treatment planning: In the ICU, the treatment is directed at the major problem first and supportive care is given to other organs affected by the patient’s primary problem.
4. Continuous monitoring and review: The patient’s response to treatment is constantly assessed and, if necessary, the treatment is immediately changed due to a change in the clinical picture.
5. Communication with family: This process includes updates on the patient’s status and key decisions made regarding their care.
6. Recovery or transfer to another service: The patient recovers under the care of a critical care team within an Intensive Care Unit and is then transferred to another part of the hospital for continued treatment by another clinical team of specialists.
This sequence shows the patient's own journey
through intensive care treatment and patient monitoring. The critical care team
rarely works alone, though, which is where other specialities come in.
Critical care in a super speciality hospital is usually a team effort and involves many of the other specialities. The critical care team will consult with certain specialties as and when needed.
Cardiology input would be sought for a severe cardiac problem, and neurology or neurosurgery input for serious brain or nervous system problems. Importantly though, the range of specialties required is largely determined on a case-by-case basis and therefore not all departments are required for every admission.
The way in which the various specialties of a
super speciality hospital are coordinated to provide ongoing care to patients
once the acute critical care phase has been managed is also worth noting when
selecting a hospital for critically ill patients.
As with all intensive medical care, there are risks associated with ICU care. The patient’s underlying illness and their treatment can vary greatly and cause very different risks to the patient.
Patients who are in ICU for prolonged periods of time can develop physical weakness due to their serious illness and lack of mobility. Some patients may require rehabilitation or even be followed by a physician for an extended period of time after they leave the ICU.
Specifically, in the case of a neurological emergency, physical therapy for neurological rehabilitation may also be indicated for an extended period of time as part of their recovery from illness.
Every patient is different and therefore recovery will
differ from person to person. The treating team can explain the expected course
of recovery for an individual and why this is the case based on their
diagnosis, degree of illness and response to treatment.
Critical care is intended for patients who need close monitoring or intensive treatment for severe illness, and getting the timing right matters as much as the treatment itself. For current information about the hospital's critical care services and specialist team, you can contact BIG Apollo Spectra Hospital directly.
If symptoms are severe or worsening, seek emergency
care immediately rather than waiting for a scheduled appointment. The medical
team is a phone call away.
Address:
Sheetla Mandir (Near Sump House)
Agamkuan, Patna 800007
Phone:
Email:
info@apollospectrabig.com
