Information for patients & relatives

ICU Steps Intensive Care

A Guide for Patients & Relatives

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What is an Adult Critical Care Network?

Adult Critical Care Networks comprise of a collection of service providers and personnel. Each Network is served by hospital provider intensive care units and pre-hospital care providers. Critical Care is a term now used for an area in the hospital which provides two levels of care for patients, although in some hospitals, this may be in two separate areas. The patients in these areas will have suffered a very severe illness or injury. The aim is to achieve the best possible recovery.

Adult Critical Care Units operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are staffed by consultant led specialist teams with access to the best diagnostic and treatment facilities, with access to specialist services, including orthopaedics, neurosurgery, cardiothoracics and radiology teams.

Further explanatory information on the services of Intensive Care can be found via NHS Choices.

What to expect

Visiting a loved one in critical care for the first time can be a frightening experience. It is normal to feel upset at seeing someone you love in Critical Care.

Most patients in Critical Care will be connected to machines or drips of some sort. It is important for you to know that an alarm going off does not immediately translate to a problem or emergency. Many of the machines have alarms that sound to let staff know that something needs doing, for example if a drip needs to be changed. Usually, there is nothing to worry about the staff will closely watch the patient at all times.

In the first few days following admission many patients are kept sedated with a mixture of sleep inducing and pain killing medications. Some of the life-saving treatments required in Critical Care are uncomfortable or unpleasant and the sedation makes this more bearable for the patient, as well as allowing them to rest. They might not remember this time, although sedated patients may be able hear you even if they do not respond. The staff will talk to unconscious patients telling them whats happening and we suggest you do the same.

There may be times when staff will ask you to leave the patientʼs bedside. This is because some of the necessary medical procedures are not pleasant and may upset you. It also gives the staff room to do their job.

As patients start to improve their sedation will be reduced to allow them to become more aware of their surroundings. It can be frightening to wake up in a strange place and it can take some time for the sedative drugs to wash out the patient’s system. They often find the presence of family and friends reassuring at this time.

Some patients get better quickly and are soon ready to leave the Critical Care, for others this may take longer as they need support, particularly from the ventilator, or breathing machine, for some time. This slow recovery process is often called ‘weaning’ and although the patient is on the mend they can find this time very frustrating as their progress is slow, and they may not be able to talk, eat or drink. Mobilisation by the physiotherapy team at this time is vital in helping the patient regain the strength and co-ordination of their muscles.

Visiting

An ICU can often be an overwhelming place, both for the patient and their loved ones. It can therefore help to know a little about what to expect.

Visiting hours are usually very flexible, but there may be times when visiting is not advised so it is a good idea to check before you arrive. The number of people allowed around the person's bed may be limited.

Sick patients need rest to help their recovery so it is advised that visitors should be kept to close family and friends. It is also suggested that a flow of visitors, spending long periods of time at the bedside may be exhausting for patients and should be avoided.

At different intervals throughout the day it may be necessary to carry out essential nursing and sometimes, medical procedures. You may be asked to leave the unit for a short period of time, or until the task is completed.

Occasionally, some nursing and medical procedures can take longer than anticipated. This may result in you being kept waiting to see your relative. We hope hat you will appreciate that the care of your relative is of the utmost importance.

Hygiene rules – to reduce the risk of spreading infection, you'll be asked to clean your hands when entering and leaving the unit and you may not be able to bring in certain things such as flowers. Please avoid visiting if you are ill.

How patients may look and behave – the person you're visiting may be drowsy and seem confused. They may also appear slightly swollen or have injuries such as bruises or wounds. This can be upsetting to see, but staff will ensure they're as comfortable as possible.

ICU equipment – a series of tubes, wires and cables will be attached to the patient, which may look alarming at first. Ask staff to explain what these are if you'd like to know.

Unfamiliar sounds – you may hear alarms and bleeps from the equipment. These help staff to monitor their patients.

You'll usually be free to touch, comfort and talk to the person. It may help them to hear and recognise familiar voices, even if they do not appear to respond. You might want to tell them about your day, or read them a book or newspaper. You can bring in things to make them more comfortable, but ask staff beforehand if there's anything you should not bring.

The ICU staff will be on hand during your visit to answer any questions you have.

Taking Care of Yourself

This is probably a very stressful time in your life. People can have a range of reactions. You may feel anxious, tearful, angry, sad, guilty, frightened, shocked, a feeling of numbness or nothingness. People often talk of feeling helpless and frustrated, wishing that there were more they could do. All these reactions are absolutely normal responses to having a relative as a patient within Critical Care.

It is important that you take care of yourself. There is no right or wrong way of coping. Here are some ideas that people have found helpful:

What has helped you during difficult times in the past? It may be chatting to a friend, time on your own, asking for help, finding out more information. Are there any of these that would help you now?
Give yourself breaks. Do not feel that you have to be at the hospital all the time.
Take some time to relax, or at least to reduce tension. Even if you are unable to sleep, spend some time in the quiet. You may feel better following a soak in the bath.
To help you sleep, try to have a relaxing bedtime routine. Spend some time trying to wind down – have a bath, warm drink (but not coffee!)
Use the support that is available to you, such as family and friends. You may want to ask someone to come with you to the hospital or to stay with you at this time. Ask them for what you feel you need.
Friends often benefit from being told what they can best do to help you.
Remember to eat – you may not feel hungry but you need to keep your energy levels up.

Discharge to the Ward

It is not unusual for both patients and relatives to feel anxious about moving from Critical Care to a ward area. You may have become familiar with the staff and routine on Critical Care. You may have felt reassured by the number of staff on Critical Care and monitoring equipment used to observe you. It is therefore important that you are prepared for your move and you feel reassured.

The medical and nursing teams on the ward will get a thorough hand-over from the critical care team, and some hospitals have an outreach team consisting of ICU nurses who help patients, relatives and ward staff cope with the transition. The ICU team will try and prepare patients and families for ‘stepping down’ and viewing the more normal atmosphere of the general ward as an important step towards recovery and rehabilitation.

Hospitals aim for transfers to happen in daytime, when more staff are available to help with settling in, although this is not always possible. Families will always be informed that the patient has moved so they come to the correct place at visiting time.

Transfer back to the ward is a good thing as it means the patient no longer needs Critical Care, but the transition to the general ward environment can be challenging for both patient and family, particularly if the critical stay has been prolonged. Although critical care is difficult, it offers security that a patient’s every change is noticed, and need provided for. It is, however, not somewhere to stay if critical care is no longer required.

On the ward, with less nursing and medical staff immediately to hand, patients and families can feel abandoned and anxious about a deterioration in the patient’s condition. This is normal and gets better in time as the patient continues to improve.

For support please to the Intensive Care Guide for Patients and Relatives