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
Weinstein was being treated in the intensive care unit at Bellevue Hospital until last Wednesday, said his attorney, Arthur Aidala.
—Jean Casarez, CNN, 17 Sep. 2024
In hospitals, it's commonly used in emergency rooms, operating rooms, and intensive care units to monitor patients, especially those with conditions affecting the heart and lungs.
—Julie Scott, Msn, Anp-Bc, Aocnp, Verywell Health, 13 Sep. 2024
Weinstein was moved out of the hospital’s intensive care unit on Tuesday, Aidala told reporters after a hearing that shed new light on the events surrounding his client’s medical emergency.
—Sean Piccoli, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024
The records documented Alex’s first five weeks of life, which included 13 days in a neonatal intensive care unit, and health problems that spurred his parents to seek medical attention seven different times in the three weeks that followed.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intensive care 
Jean Casarez, CNN, 17 Sep. 2024
In hospitals, it's commonly used in emergency rooms, operating rooms, and intensive care units to monitor patients, especially those with conditions affecting the heart and lungs.
—Julie Scott, Msn, Anp-Bc, Aocnp, Verywell Health, 13 Sep. 2024
Weinstein was moved out of the hospital’s intensive care unit on Tuesday, Aidala told reporters after a hearing that shed new light on the events surrounding his client’s medical emergency.
—Sean Piccoli, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024
The records documented Alex’s first five weeks of life, which included 13 days in a neonatal intensive care unit, and health problems that spurred his parents to seek medical attention seven different times in the three weeks that followed.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intensive care
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 2 Oct. 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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