intensive care
noun
1
: the continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
Many of the sickest patients need intensive care, even to the point of being connected to a mechanical respirator.—
Lawrence K. Altman
Lawrence K. Altman2
: a designated area in a hospital providing intensive care : intensive care unit
heart patients in intensive care
… short of breath and feverish, doctors isolated him in intensive care.—Elisabeth Rosenthal
—often hyphenated when used before another nounElisabeth Rosenthalan intensive-care nurse
Examples of intensive care in a Sentence
Her condition will require intensive care.
Recent Examples on the Web
In key congressional race, Republicans criticize Democrat’s Central Valley real estate deal
Aug. 25, 2024
After a co-worker performed CPR, the report said, the employee was admitted to the intensive care unit at a hospital in Turlock.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
Immediately following her birth, she was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and intubated.
—Julia Reinstein, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024
These complex procedures required admissions to the intensive care unit less than 24 hours after surgery.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
He has since been hospitalized and is currently fully conscious while being treated in an intensive care unit inside the city.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intensive care 
Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
Immediately following her birth, she was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and intubated.
—Julia Reinstein, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024
These complex procedures required admissions to the intensive care unit less than 24 hours after surgery.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
He has since been hospitalized and is currently fully conscious while being treated in an intensive care unit inside the city.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intensive care
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intensive care.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near intensive care
Cite this Entry
“Intensive care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intensive%20care. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
intensive care
1 of 2 noun1
: the continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
She required intensive care and survived without sequelae.—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: a designated area in a hospital providing intensive care : intensive care unit
heart patients in intensive care
a patient isolated in intensive care
He spent several days in intensive care before recovering from the overdose.—Jerome Groopman
Jerome Groopmanintensive care
2 of 2 adjective
variants
also intensive-care
: providing or concerned with continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
intensive care medicine
an intensive-care nurse
also
: receiving medical care in an intensive care unit
intensive care patients
compare acute care, chronic care
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