What is Critical Care and how is different from Emergency Care?

Critical care = Intensive care

The specialized care of patients whose conditions require 24 hours monitoring and treatment, often in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The 2 different types of medicine are complimentary to each other.  For example, often an emergency patient will turn into a critical care patient who needs 24 hour doctor and nursing attention because their condition changes where close monitoring and life support measures in the ICU may be needed.

Most veterinarians who treat animals on an emergency basis or administer critical care medicine have years of experience or are specialty trained to treat such patients.

Examples of patients who need critical care monitoring:

• Complications with Diabetes
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Chronic/Acute Kidney Failure
• Other Organ Failure
• Injuries needing Blood Transfusions
• Patients requiring respiratory support on a Ventilator