What the machines do

There is a range of equipment available in ICU so it is difficult to be too specific.

Every patient in ICU, though, does have a monitor (a television-like screen) that collects information on the patient’s heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, temperature, breathing and many other things, displaying them as a graph.

Most patients will have powerful drugs given to them continuously through intravenous infusions (‘I.V’ or ‘drip’).

Patients may also be assisted in their breathing by a machine (ventilator). They are attached to the machine by a tube (ETT) inserted into the trachea (windpipe).