critical care

noun

1

: the monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients : intensive care

Critical care involves the use of life-sustaining, high-technology medicine catering to a patient population that extends to both extremes of age. In adult ICUs, the average age is increasing and is now commonly well over 60 years.

—Simon Finfer and Jean-Louis Vincent

2

: a designated area of a hospital providing critical care : intensive care unit

The death toll rose from six to at least 12, with scores of people needing hospital treatment and some in critical care.

—Heather Brooke

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

critical-care nursing

a critical-care bed

see also critical care unit

Examples of critical care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jade Calvin, a critical care paramedic at Bell Ambulance in Milwaukee, has been a dedicated emergency services professional for nearly eight years and now works in the Education Department as a CPR instructor, teaching new protocols. —Nia McLean, CNN, 15 Aug. 2024

Dwight is a physician specializing in pediatric critical care at Levine Children's Hospital; Vicki is a nurse practitioner. —Laura Barrero, Axios, 29 July 2024

Extensive background in pediatric, adult, medical surgical nursing, critical care, and management within the home health and healthcare industry Have you been arrested, charged, or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld, or had a matter sealed or expunged? —Barbara Sharief, Sun Sentinel, 25 July 2024

Cortisol levels can be tested by a doctor through blood, urine, or saliva samples, says Raj Dasgupta, MD, a physician specializing in internal medicine, pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine, and the chief medical advisor for Fortune Recommends Health. —Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

critical care

noun

: intensive care