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Read Aloud and Translations

Equipment

The Intensive Care Unit can be a very strange and sometimes overwhelming place. It can be difficult for patients and families to make sense of what is going on, not only in terms of their illness, but also in terms of the equipment we use and the types of treatments we give and why. The nurse who is looking after you or your loved one will be happy to explain if you ask, although some family members feel that they don't like to "bother" her or him. In this section, we have provided easy to understand descriptions of some of the most commonly used equipment and treatments in Intensive Care and why they are used.

 

 

 

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Article: Breathing tubes

Breathing tubes Many of the patients in the intensive care unit will need support with their breathing. This may involve passing a plastic breathing tube into the windpipe. There are two types of breathing tubes Endotracheal (ET) tube: This is a plastic tube placed through the patient’s mouth or sometimes through their nose into the windpipe (trachea). Most patients will need sedation to keep them comfortable while this breathing tube is in place. Tracheostomy tube: This is...

Article: Catheter (urinary)

Almost every patient in the Intensive care Unit will have a (urinary) catheter during their stay. What is a catheter? A urinary catheter is a flexible tube that is inserted into the bladder to drain urine.It is collected in a clear drainage bag that is usually hung by the side of the bed, where it can be easily seen by the nurse. Why are they used in Intensive Care? Many patients are too unwell or too sleepy to use the toilet normally.It's very important that we...

Article: Drips, tubes and lines (cannulas)

What are drips, lines and cannulas? They are sterile plastic catheters that are inserted directly into the patient’s blood vessels. A peripheral line is a small sterile plastic cannula that is inserted into the small veins in the hand or arms. It is used to give intravenous fluids and medications. An arterial line (or "A line") is a sterile cannula which is inserted into an artery (usually in the wrist or groin) to allow accurate,continuous measurement of the blood pressure. We...

Article: Feeding Tubes

Feeding in the intensive care It’s very important for patients in the intensive care unit to maintain an adequate nutrition and calorie intake in order to fight the infection and aid recovery after prolonged illness, so while they are unable to eat enough normally, we use tube feeding. There are several feeding tubes that may be used in the ICU: Nasogastric tube - A nasogastric tube is the most common type of feeding tube used.  These are long thin tubes, placed by a nurse or the...

Article: ICP monitoring

What is intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring? Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring measures the pressure inside a patient's head, using a pressure monitor inserted through the skull. There are various reasons why this procedure may be needed, for instance, after a head injury or surgery to the brain. ICP monitoring tends to be carried out in the intensive care unit although it may be inserted in the operating theatre.The nurses and doctors will explain why ICP monitoring is...

Article: Infusion pumps

Infusion pumps come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but they all do the same thing; they allow us to accurately control the amount of fluids, medication or liquid food we give to the patient. The nurse will normally check each infusion pump every hour to make sure that the correct amount of fluids, medication or liquid food has been given. Pumps have in-built alarms, which let us know if there is a problem e.g. if there is a kink in the tubing or if an infusion is coming to an end.

Article: Monitors

Every bed in the ICU has a monitor that will display what we call the patient's “vital signs”. These typically include the heart rate and rhythm (or ECG), blood pressure, oxygen levels (or “saturation”), respiratory (or breathing) pattern and fluid status (CVP or “central venous pressure”).The nurses will keep a constant eye on the monitor and will carefully record the vital signs in the patient's charts.The monitor has in built alarms that will...

Article: Ventilator or breathing machine

What is a ventilator? The ventilator is also sometimes called a breathing machine or life support machine. The ventilator is a machine that helps the patient to breathe while they are very ill or too sleepy to breathe by themselves e.g. after a general anaesthetic. How does a ventilator work? The ventilator or breathing machine is connected to the patient via a tubing system and a tube that is inserted into the patient's mouth and windpipe (a breathing tube, endotracheal or...

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