Choices and support during serious illness in the surgical intensive care unit — patient education series: understanding trauma and emergency surgery conditions

When someone is very ill, they often need a lot of medical support in the intensive care unit (ICU). They may need things like a breathing tube connected to a breathing machine, blood tests multiple times a day, and around-the-clock medications to keep them alive. This kind of treatment in the ICU is often very hard, even painful for the patient.