First-hand experience of being in an Intensive Care Unit?

[marquesate]

I believe this question is not country specific. Basically, one of the protagonists finds himself in intensive care after an explosion where he received abdominal injuries

Comments

[snoo_gems]

Hi there... I don't personally have this experience, but my dad had a bike accident about two years ago. He was in Intensive Care, but I only for about a day or so (I think they wanted to monitor him closely and be sure he was stable, since he fell on his head...) Anyway, he told me he didn't remember most of this, because he was very drowsy from the medication (and his head injury, probably).

So, I believe it depends on the time your protagonist has to spend in the ICU and pain medication he would get. I am no doctor, though, and I have no idea if a patient with abdominal injuries would get heavy meds or not... I hope you'll find someone who can help you with that!

[marquesate]

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. :-) I figured the character would be drowsy, so that's good to know.

[cat_mcdougall]

It's been eighteen years, so this information's a bit dated.

The big thing I remember is the sound of the machines. They were constantly whirring, beeping. Then there was the rustle of fabric as the nurses moved about. Conversations never, ever, got above a whisper.

I had many, many broken bones --got trampled by a horse-- so I got pain meds, I don't know if abdominal injuries would get the same as I got (and don't remember what I got anyway).

I hope this might help. because after eighteen-ish years, that's about all I remember.

[marquesate]

Thank you! It is really helpful to hear that the constant noise of the machines is a big factor, and it seems the consensus is that in most places the conversations would be hushed.

[kvschwartz]

I have never been in an ACTUAL Intensive Care Unit, but I have been in a Critical Care Unit, which I suspect is similar.

Most of the time I was there, I was blind and unable to move, but there was definitely lots of beeping. I don't remember people speaking in whispers, certainly not speaking in whispers to me; when I finally gained some control of my hands, I tried to get my breathing tube out, and they yelled at me and had my hands bound to the bed.

(Ugh, breathing tube. Worst. Experience. Ever.)

I still could not see for several hours after that.

[marquesate]

Oh dear! That sounds horrible with the breathing tube, but you wouldn't believe how helpful you recalling your experience is to me. I will use that for when the character half-wakes. he is Special Forces, so his reaction would probably be to try pull that tube out.

[zephie]

I haven't been a patient in an ICU but I've visited it many times as a kid (and now a couple times as a med student, not enough to give a really in-depth description though, sorry :)), since my father used to be one of the doctors there. I don't think I've ever really seen a patient in there who was very aware of their surroundings. Whatever ails them is bad enough to get them into the ICU at all - and as such, bad enough usually to get doped out on pain meds and the like

[marquesate]

Thank you ever so much, this was very helpful! I am starting to be able to picture everything, which is invaluable.

[aamah]

I'm an RN and worked in an Critical Care Unit which was a combined ICU (Intensive Care) and CCU (Cardiac Care)Unit for fourteen years. Even though the nurse/patient ratio is small (1:1, 1:2) the need to be able to see all the patients all the time is important therefore the units are usually in an open space with patients separated by divinding walls or curtains or glassed in rooms so patient privacy will be an issue in an alert patient. If the patient is there more than a day or so, sleep deprivation is also a consideration as there is activity 24/7. The lights are never out completely. It's true the staff tries to keep voices down, but in an emergency, adrenalin kicks in and voices rise so when something of a critical nature happens to another patient it is likely all the patients are privy to it. Yes, there are many machines....that all have alarms that beep and whistle as a part of their regular function and other sounds when they malfunction. Yes, patients are frequently restrained to protect themselves from harm and sedative

[marquesate]

That was fantastically helpful! Thank you ever so much. Can you tell me what is done with a patient to prevent bedsores? I am trying to imagine how this is prevented even though the patient has an abdominal injury and secondary infection.

[aamah]

Good question! My apologies for not mentioning it. It's a huge issue as you can imagine

[marquesate]

Oh dear, I never said the biggest THANK YOU that you deserved. Life became so busy. Your information really is fantastic and I can now go ahead and write the scene. Thank you!