Tehoosaston

Tehoosaston is the Finnish term for an intensive care unit (ICU), a hospital department that provides continuous monitoring and advanced life-support for patients with life-threatening conditions. Tehoosastot operate around the clock and admit patients from emergency departments, operating theatres, or other hospital units. They are typically located near surgical or emergency services to enable rapid transfers.

Staffing consists of an intensivist or anesthesiologist with critical care training, supported by critical-care nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and rehabilitation professionals. In many units, patient-to-nurse ratios are high to ensure continuous observation and rapid response.

Care relies on continuous monitoring, invasive hemodynamic assessment, mechanical ventilation, sedation, and vasoactive drugs. Some centers provide renal replacement therapy or ECMO. Multidisciplinary teams coordinate infection control, nutrition, delirium prevention, and early mobilization.

Common indications include severe respiratory failure, septic shock, multi-organ dysfunction, major trauma, and high-risk postoperative patients. Family communication and involvement are increasingly emphasized, and visiting policies vary by unit and hospital.

History: The ICU concept emerged in the mid-20th century and spread worldwide. In Finland, teho-osastot developed through the 1960s–1990s and now form a standard component of acute hospital care, with regional and national guidelines governing staffing and treatment protocols.