A Primer on Critical Care for Patients and Their Families

The ATS Critical Care Assembly has developed a series of short explanations of illnesses and procedures that are commonly seen in the Intensive Care Unit. The explanations can be printed and given to patients or used as a template for discussion. Click below to access them.

• Introduction
• General Information
• What is the purpose of an intensive care unit?
• Expectations
• Common Illnesses of Critically Ill Patients
• Cardiovascular System
• Pulmonary System
• Kidneys
• Gastrointestinal System
• Nervous System
• Infections
• Multiple System Organ Failure
• ICU Devices and Procedures
• General Information
• Catheterization of the Urinary Bladder (Foley Catheterization)
• Stomach Tubes
• Arterial Catheterization
• Central Venous Catheterization
• Right Heart Catheterization
• Mechanical Ventilator
• Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation
• Tracheostomy (Putting a Breathing Tube Through a Small Hole in the Throat)
• Lumbar Puncture (Taking a Sample of Fluid From Around the Spinal Cord)
• Paracentesis (Taking a Sample of Fluid From the Abdomen)
• Thoracentesis (Taking a Sample of Fluid From Around the Lungs)
• Chest Tube Thoracostomy
• Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy
• Hermodialysis
• Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Code Status
• Making Decisions About the End of Life
• Description of Different Advance Directives
• Related Ideas
• Medical Futility
• Hospital Ethics Committee
• Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatments
• Common Approaches in Critical Care
• Commonly Asked Questions
• Advance Directives Information Guide
• Credits