Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Feel peace of mind if you or a loved one need critical, lifesaving care after a serious health emergency or major surgery. During a stay at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula’s ICU, you’ll benefit from 24/7 monitoring and specialized support to recover safely.
What happens in the ICU?
With trained staff and advanced technology, the ICU gives you a high level of medical care when you’re very sick or severely injured. Nurses and doctors with certifications in life support watch your vital signs around the clock and respond quickly to changes in breathing, heartbeat, and other body functions.
If necessary, your care team will use:
- Feeding tube to make sure your body gets enough nutrition when you can’t eat
- Intravenous (IV) lines that deliver medication or fluids through a vein
- Ventilator to help you breathe
Reasons for critical care
When you schedule major surgery, your surgical team may plan for you to recover in the ICU. You may stay in the ICU after a health emergency, such as:
Intensive care team
Receive compassionate care from an expert team that works closely together. ICU staff include:
- Critical care nurses with in-depth training to make timely medical decisions
- Intensivists, or doctors who specialize in pulmonary (lung) and critical care
- Respiratory therapists who provide breathing support
Visiting the ICU
If you visit a loved one in the ICU, you may notice many machines, monitors, and sounds. Rest assured, these are a normal part of intensive care, and not every alarm signals an emergency. Ask us for updates on your loved one’s health.
