520
Detailed Needs and Requirements: Intensive Care Units
523.1.5
Trends
1. Patterns of Care
Intensive care units may become increasingly specialized in the future.
For example, medical intensive care units may be divided into separate
specialties such as neurological, gastroenterological, respiratory, and
cardio-pulmonary intensive care.
Surgical specialty units may also be developed, e.g. orthopedic,
neurosurgical, and cardiovascular intensive care units. These units
may be sufficiently interrelated so that the formation of an "intensive
hospital within-a-hospital" may result.
The percentage of the total beds in the hospital devoted to intensive
care will probably increase in the future.
It is possible that the treatment of critically ill patients may become a
recognized medical sub-specialty.
2. Technology
Physiological monitoring equipment will become smaller and more
sophisticated in the future. This equipment may allow for more
comprehensive monitoring and greater patient mobility, and facilitate
nursing care by minimizing the size and/or number of obstructions at
the patient bedside.
The requirements for sophisticated supporting services, e.g.
computers, will undoubtedly increase.
523.2
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
523.2.1
Functional Relationships
Figure 520-3 and Figure 520-4 illustrate the two basic intensive care
relationship options: 1) primarily to other intensive care units and
diagnostic support or, 2) primarily to post intensive beds for each service.
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