intensive care

noun

Definition of intensive care

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

2 : 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 noun an intensive-care nurse

Examples of intensive care in a Sentence

Her condition will require intensive care.

Recent Examples on the Web And unfortunately, many of these children have ended up in the intensive care unit, and some have even lost their lives. — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan 'ready to go' as CDC authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for kids 12-15," 12 May 2021 The last year has also been challenging for Peter Chae, who works in the medical cardiac intensive care unit at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. — Myrna Petlicki, chicagotribune.com, "‘The pandemic is not over:’ Local nurses reflect on more than a year of treating COVID-19 patients," 11 May 2021 On Tuesday afternoon, a mobile phone app for New Delhi, a metropolis of 20 million, showed only 62 vacant intensive care unit beds for Covid-19 patients in the entire city. — New York Times, "Covid Desperation Is Spreading Across India," 11 May 2021 The project will include a larger neonatal intensive care unit. — Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star, "St. Vincent announces $325M expansion at 86th Street. Here's what's planned.," 10 May 2021 The nearest medical facility with a neonatal intensive care unit was more than 300 miles away in Cairo, though the family couldn't have afforded it. — Karina Bland, The Arizona Republic, "He promised his mother he would become a doctor and help the people who need it most," 9 May 2021 On Halloween night 2020, Dr. Anthony Tucker woke up in a Palm Coast intensive care unit with the blurry figures of his wife and two teenage sons across the room. — Kate Santich, orlandosentinel.com, "Back from the brink: a COVID survivor’s story," 9 May 2021 Six hours later, Ken lay in an ambulance headed for Portland Providence Medical Center’s intensive care unit, 10 miles away. — oregonlive, "COVID-19 battles bring out the best in health care heroes," 8 May 2021 Papadopoulos was admitted to the hospital in March and was later moved to the intensive care unit for more than a month, the page states. — Stephanie Pagones, Fox News, "Border Patrol agent hospitalized with COVID-19 after responding to border crisis in March," 8 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intensive care.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

15 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Intensive care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intensive%20care. Accessed 16 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for intensive care

intensive care

noun

English Language Learners Definition of intensive care

: a section of a hospital where special medical equipment and services are provided for patients who are seriously injured or ill also : the medical care provided in such a section

See the full definition for intensive care in the English Language Learners Dictionary

intensive care

noun

Kids Definition of intensive care

: constant observation and treatment of very ill patients in a special unit of a hospital

intensive care

noun

Medical Definition of intensive care

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : 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

2 : 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

intensive care

adjective

variants: also intensive-care

Medical Definition of intensive care (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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