CCU vs. CVICU vs. CICU

[NsgTiger]

Okay,

You guys gave me great info on my CCU vs. CVICU question. Now I just found that the facility I am applying to has CCU, CVICU, and CICU. Plus, they have regular telemetry units. What's the deal?

[JohnnyGage]

Hard to say, but I would guess:

CVICU is a surgical unit taking open heart patients, probably also any aortic surgeries, possibly thoracotomies (ie cardio-thoracic stuff).

CICU is probably a cardiac medical ICU taking critical coronary cases on vents, IABPs, CRRT, etc.

CCU is most likely also a medical cardiac unit that acts more as a stepdown taking coronary patients that are on simple drips like NTG, amiodarone, diltiazem, etc. but not dealing with the machines they work with in CICU. Most of the MIs probably end up here, along with most of the post-intervention cases. If the heart recovery plan is typical, this is also where the open-heart patients complete their recovery after they transfer out of the CVICU.