Neurosurgery Intesnive Care Unit

A Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit (NSICU) is an area of a hospital for patients who require neurosurgery (surgery of the brain or spine) and who require close monitoring and constant, complicated, detailed nursing and medical care. In other words, the care is extreme or intensive, hence the name Intensive Care Unit. Patients are kept in the NSICU for as long as is medically necessary. The types of patients typically cared for in an NSICU are those who suffered brain and/or spinal cord damage due to trauma, stroke (burst artery or a blockage of an artery), tumor, or hemorrhaging (bleeding).

The NSICU consists of highly specialized, complicated devices and equipment for monitoring patients and for reviving them from apparent death or unconsciousness. An example of such monitoring equipment is an intracranial pressure monitor, which measures the amount of pressure within the brain from swelling. Excessive brain swelling may be treated with diuretic medications (such as Mannitol) that help remove fluid from the body. In the worst case scenario, brain surgery may be needed to remove the excess fluid and decrease pressure on the brain. An NSICU has staff such as nurses and doctors that are educated and trained to provide the specific type of health care needed to these types of patients. A Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit is also known as a Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit and a Neuro-Intensive care Unit.