What is a Critical Care Unit?
The pulmonologists at the Elmhurst Clinic also are board certified in critical care medicine. They treat and care for patients while they are in the Hospital’s critical care unit (CCU), which is a specially equipped unit that provides highly specialized care to patients who suffer from a serious injury or illness. A multidisciplinary team trained in the care of critically ill or injured patients provides continuous observation and monitoring as well as specialized care.
Patients are admitted to the CCU from an emergency room, operating room, another care area within the hospital or after being transferred from another hospital. There are no specific admission criteria for CCUs. Admission is based on a physician finding that close observation or specialized monitoring and/or therapy is necessary. Once close observation and monitoring are no longer required, the patient is discharged from the CCU to a regular hospital room or a step-down unit where modified observation or therapy can be administered.