Question: What is a neuro ICU?
Answer: A neuro intensive care unit comprises an area of the hospital devoted to a team of specially trained physicians, nurses, therapists and other professionals. They are outfitted with equipment to assess, monitor and treat patients with disorders or injuries of the brain or spinal cord.
A neuro ICU is generally found only in large, major medical centers. It is reserved for the most seriously ill or injured patients. The staff must manage extremely complicated conditions with risks of death or disability that often require experts from multiple medical disciplines to diagnose and treat.
Q: Why would a patient be admitted to the neuro ICU?
A: Stroke, either from a blockage in an artery in the brain or a rupture from a hemorrhage, is a common disorder that lands patients in the units. But neuro ICUs also care for an array of other issues, including epilepsy, brain infections such as meningitis and encephalitis, degenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease, and brain tumors.