Post ICU Care Specialist
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Pulmonary Care Clinics
Pulmonology & Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Specialist located in Cooper City, FL
A hospital intensive care unit (ICU) is somewhere you go when your condition is so serious you could lose your life. Recovering after such an experience can be challenging, but Zael Vazquez, MD, and his team at Pulmonary Care Clinics in Cooper City, Florida, can help with their expert post-ICU care. To find out how you could benefit from specialist treatment after spending time in the ICU, call Pulmonary Care Clinics today or book an appointment online.
Post ICU Care Q & A
What is post-ICU care?
The intensive care unit (ICU) is a part of the hospital that cares for the most seriously ill patients. After spending time in the ICU, people often require additional support and treatment to help them recover.
The post-ICU care provided by the team at Pulmonary Care Clinics optimizes your recovery and continues for as long as you need it.
Why would I need post-ICU care?
There are two main reasons why you would need post-ICU care from Pulmonary Care Clinics:
Lung damage
Pneumonia and respiratory diseases like COVID-19 could require a stay in ICU if they're severe.
Conditions like these can cause scarring on the lungs that affects your ability to breathe even after you recover from the acute illness. This scar tissue can heal, but it takes months and sometimes a year or more.
Ventilator use
If you've had problems breathing when in the ICU and oxygen therapy isn't enough, or your lungs are failing, you might need to go on a mechanical ventilator. This machine gets oxygen into your lungs and can also remove carbon dioxide if you're unable to breathe out.
The ventilator has a tube that goes into your airway through your nose or mouth. In some cases, it's necessary to make a hole in your neck (tracheostomy) for the pipe. This procedure, called intubation, can affect the way your lungs work when you start breathing on your own again.
Being on a ventilator can cause post-ICU problems like difficulties catching your breath, breathing muscles that don't work as they should, and damage to the vocal cords or other parts of your windpipe.
What does post-ICU care involve?
If you require post-ICU care after leaving the hospital, the team at Pulmonary Care Clinics performs a comprehensive assessment of your condition and needs.
Because being in the ICU can affect you in many additional ways, the team works closely with other specialists to optimize your recovery.
The team at Pulmonary Care Clinics develops a personalized treatment plan for any patient needing post-ICU care. They may prescribe medications to address your breathing difficulties, and specialized respiratory therapy is also available to help strengthen your breathing muscles.
If you or a loved one is struggling after your hospital stay, get expert post-ICU care by calling Pulmonary Care Clinics today or booking an appointment online.
