Chronic critical illness
Chronic Critical Illness
Chronic critical illness (/'krɒnɪk/ /'krɪtɪkəl/ /'ɪlnəs/), is a medical condition characterized by the prolonged dependence on mechanical ventilation and other forms of life-sustaining treatments. The term is often used to describe patients who have survived an initial episode of critical illness, but have not fully recovered and continue to require intensive care.
Etymology
The term "chronic" comes from the Greek word "chronos", meaning time, and is used in medicine to describe conditions that last for a long time or recur frequently. The term "critical illness" refers to conditions that are life-threatening and require intensive care.
Definition
Chronic critical illness is defined as the need for prolonged mechanical ventilation (for more than 21 days) and other forms of life-sustaining treatments, following an acute episode of critical illness. Patients with chronic critical illness often have complex medical needs and require ongoing care in an intensive care unit (ICU) or a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH).
Related Terms
- Acute illness: An illness that comes on suddenly and is usually short in duration.
- Critical illness: A life-threatening medical condition that requires intensive care.
- Mechanical ventilation: A method of assisting or replacing spontaneous breathing using a mechanical ventilator.
- Intensive care unit (ICU): A specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive care medicine.
- Long-term acute care hospital (LTACH): A facility that specializes in treating patients with serious medical conditions that require ongoing care but are not acute enough to require an ICU.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Chronic critical illness
- Wikipedia's article - Chronic critical illness
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