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
The infection landed her in the intensive care unit and nearly killed her.
—Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
Charlotte Catholic High School said on Facebook that the girls were admitted to the intensive care unit following the crash.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Country star Colt Ford is in the intensive care unit after suffering a heart attack Thursday.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The artist is reportedly recovering in the intensive care unit at the Banner Desert Medical Center.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
Country-rap performer Colt Ford is currently in the intensive care unit at the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona, after the artist suffered a heart attack on Thursday night (April 4) following a show at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Gilbert, Arizona.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Her son spent a week fighting for his life in a neonatal intensive care unit, according to the complaint, and had a device implanted to fix his heart defect.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
The third plaintiff, Paul Marik, said he had been forced to resign a professorship at Eastern Virginia Medical School and as director of the intensive care unit at Senara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell plans to close its labor and delivery and neonatal intensive care units by April 1 for similar reasons.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
Charlotte Catholic High School said on Facebook that the girls were admitted to the intensive care unit following the crash.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Country star Colt Ford is in the intensive care unit after suffering a heart attack Thursday.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The artist is reportedly recovering in the intensive care unit at the Banner Desert Medical Center.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
Country-rap performer Colt Ford is currently in the intensive care unit at the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona, after the artist suffered a heart attack on Thursday night (April 4) following a show at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Gilbert, Arizona.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Her son spent a week fighting for his life in a neonatal intensive care unit, according to the complaint, and had a device implanted to fix his heart defect.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
The third plaintiff, Paul Marik, said he had been forced to resign a professorship at Eastern Virginia Medical School and as director of the intensive care unit at Senara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell plans to close its labor and delivery and neonatal intensive care units by April 1 for similar reasons.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
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 23 Apr. 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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