Caring for patients in critical care requires the use of special monitoring equipment and often the insertion of catheters or measurement devices. These are used to help diagnose, monitor and treat the patient’s illness. Many of the devices used are invasive (they must be inserted into the patient’s body). We always weigh the potential benefit of an invasive device against the possible risk to the patient. Physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists receive additional training in the use of specialized equipment.
The physicians will discuss treatment plans with the patient (if possible) and family. We will do our best to inform you before using invasive devices, however, it is important to understand that these are standard treatments in the care of critically ill patients.
For more information: Monitoring
