Need some info about differences in CVICU and SICU..

[jla623]

I need a little bit of help with this. I am very familiar with the ins and outs of the CVICU, but can someone tell me a little bit more about SICU? Based on a hospital that has a CVICU already (so no hearts in the SICU), what kinds of things am I going to see?

Will the patients be on vents, lots of drips, art lines, etc? I am absolutely fascinated with CV, but I'm wondering if I will get atleast SOME cardiac exposure in the SICU. I would really like to be comfortable with a variety of things, but I would still love to have some cardiac involved.

What are some examples of different types of patients you would see? What does the typical patient look like?

Will SICU prepare you enough to eventually move to CVICU?

Which one do you think is a better starting place for a new grad?

Sorry, I know I have lots of questions! I just have a big decision to make in the near future.

Thanks!

[Tessaprn]

My SICU wants nothing to do with Cardiac. They feel inexperienced with matters of the heart just as CV feels out of place with traumas. SICU handles just about everything except cardiac. They get all of the traumas and surgeries, whereas CV gets the fresh hearts straight from surgery. Both have the drips, chest tubes, and vents.

[meandragonbrett]

Drips, vents, a-lines, swans, etc will be seen in both units. You see a lot of big sick abdomens in SICU. SICU provides a good solid critical care base to draw from. Some hospitals don't have Trauma ICU and Surgical ICU so the SICU takes care of all of the trauma patients too....meaning spinal cord injuries, head injuries, massive orthopedic injuries, etc.