ABSTRACT
The Intensive-Care Unit (ICU) is a facility within which seriously unwell patients are treated with invasive supportive therapies, such as ventilation, inotropic support and dialysis. In 2000, the UK Government redefi ned such areas and affi liated wards (such as High-Dependency Units) as Critical Care Units.1 That paper defi ned critical care medicine as a separate medical entity, and outlined the resources that need to be available to ensure that patients receive appropriate care in an appropriate environment. The paper defi ned these requirements as different ‘levels of care.’ These levels are described in Table 11.1.
