Intensive Care provides close monitoring and treatment to critically ill adult patients. A specialized team of registered nurses, physicians, dietitians, respiratory care practitioners and others provides one-on-one care, close monitoring and support to patients with acute and complicated conditions.

St. Cloud Hospital is one of the few Minnesota hospitals where doctors certified in critical care medicine manage patients within the intensive care setting. Intensive care has received national recognition for its use of multi-disciplinary rounds, which include the patients' families.

Family Visiting Philosophy
We believe families are an integral part of the care of patients. Our goal is to meet the needs of the patient and family by providing flexible, open visiting hours that foster respect and maintain confidentiality.

Family Visiting

• We encourage visiting, but keep in mind the patient's need for rest, quiet and privacy. Please consider 2-3 visitors at a time. If you have a cold or the flu, please do not visit.
• Please select a family spokesperson. This person(s) will be responsible for informing other family members of the patient’s progress.
• It is important for families to rest also. We have two family sleep rooms on the second floor of the hospital that may be available for your use. Please check with the charge nurse for information about their availability.
• Children of any age may visit the critical care unit. We want children and families to be safe when visiting. Because there are times when the unit is very busy, we appreciate if children under age 10 are supervised. It is also important to prepare children for the visit. Explain the equipment they may see or noise they may hear. Let them know they can still talk to "Grandpa" and touch him.
  

Glossary of Terms
Arterial Line – Catheter inserted into an artery for direct, continuous measurement of a patient’s blood pressure.

Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) – Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilation on a person who has no pulse and is not breathing.

Cardiac Enzymes – Blood tests that help determine if a patient has suffered a heart attack.

Cardiac Catheterization (Coronary Angiogram) – Passage of a catheter through an artery to the heart arteries, and injection of dye to the arteries of the heart to determine the amount of heart vessel blockage.

Cardiac Rehabilitation – A service that provides exercise, education and support for people who are recovering from a heart attack, surgery or other heart conditions.

Cardioversion – A procedure for returning the heart to a normal rhythm by an electrical stimulus.

CAT SCAN (CT Scan, Computerized Axial Tomography) – A non-invasive technique using X-rays and a computer to obtain a cross-sectional view of the body.

CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse) – A credential that may be earned by critical care nurses who successfully pass an examination administered by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Code Blue – A signal to specialized staff that a cardiac or respiratory arrest has occurred and that cardiac massage and artificial ventilation should be started.

Coronary Angioplasty – Passage of a balloon-tipped catheter through an artery to a blocked coronary artery. The balloon is then inflated, pressing the obstruction against the arterial wall, allowing blood to flow through the blocked area.

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery – A surgical procedure where the mammary artery or sapheneous vein (in the leg) is used to reroute blood around a blocked portion of an artery to supply blood to the heart.

Coronary Stent – The insertion of small wire mesh tube used to hold a coronary artery open and allow blood to flow through to the heart muscle.

EEG (Electroencephalogram) – The recording of electrical impulses of the brain.

EKG (ECG, Electrocardiogram) – The recording of the electrical impulse of the heart.

Health Care Directive – A legal document drawn up by an individual expressing his or her wishes regarding the use of life-prolonging measures.

ICP Line – A catheter inserted in the brain to monitor intracranial pressure (ICP). The pressure reading guides the physicians and nurses in giving treatment and care.

Intra-aortic Balloon Pump – A balloon-tipped catheter that inflates and deflates, and is inserted into the aorta to assist the pumping action of the heart.

IV Line (Intravenous Line) – A catheter placed in a vein to administer fluids, medications and nutrients to the patient.

IV Pump – A machine that regulates the flow of IV fluids to the patient.

Myocardial Infarction (MI or heart attack) – Death to an area of the heart muscle caused by lack of blood flow and oxygen to that area.

No Code Blue – A decision arrived at by the patient or family that in the event the heart stops or breathing ceases, cardiac compressions and breathing assistance will not be started. This may also be called a "Do Not Resuscitate" order.

Organ Donation – Donation of healthy organs from a deceased person for transplantation into someone in need of such an organ.

Oximeter – A device placed on an ear or finger to determine how much oxygen is in the blood of an individual.

Pacemaker – An electronic device that sends an impulse to the muscle of the heart to initiate a heart beat.

Pulmonary Artery Catheter – A catheter inserted into an artery near the heart to measure pressures of the heart. This pressure measurement guides the physicians and nurses in giving special medications and fluids.

Respirator/Ventilator – A machine that assists patients’ breathing when they are unable to breathe on their own.

Stress or Treadmill Test – A procedure for evaluating the heart’s electrical activity and response to physical stress produced by exercise.