Intensivpatient

An Intensivpatient, or critical care patient, is someone admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) because of a life-threatening illness or injury that requires continuous monitoring and advanced therapies to support vital functions. Indications for ICU admission include respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support, septic shock, severe burns, major trauma, post-operative complications, or acute organ dysfunction, such as kidney or liver failure. The term is used in German-speaking regions and aligns with the broader concept of critical care patients in other health systems.

Care is provided by an interdisciplinary team led by intensivists, with ICU nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists, and social workers. Monitoring is continuous and multimodal, often including arterial lines, central venous access, advanced hemodynamic monitoring, frequent laboratory tests, imaging, and nutritional assessments. Therapeutic measures may include mechanical ventilation (invasive or noninvasive), vasopressor or inotropic drugs to maintain blood pressure, renal replacement therapy, tube feeding, sedation and analgesia, electrolyte management, and infection control with antibiotics. Treatment plans emphasize rapid stabilization, prevention of complications, and ongoing assessment of prognosis and care goals, often in collaboration with patients or their surrogates and family.

The length of ICU stay varies widely and depends on the underlying condition and complications. Many Intensivpatientes improve and transition to a general ward or step-down unit, while others experience prolonged critical illness or poor prognosis, requiring palliative or rehabilitative care.