Definition of critical care
1
: the monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients : intensive care
Critical care involves the use of life-sustaining, high-technology medicine catering to a patient population that extends to both extremes of age. In adult ICUs, the average age is increasing and is now commonly well over 60 years.— Simon Finfer and Jean-Louis Vincent
2
: a designated area of a hospital providing critical care : intensive care unit
The death toll rose from six to at least 12, with scores of people needing hospital treatment and some in critical care.— Heather Brooke
—often hyphenated when used before another noun critical-care nursinga critical-care bed
— see also critical care unit
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“Critical care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20care. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021.
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The first known use of critical care was in 1956
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