Evidence supports the superiority of closed ICUs for patients and families: we are not sure

Excerpt

Intensive care units (ICUs) are unique locations in the hospital. Very few countries have set minimum criteria to qualify a unit as an ICU [1]. What is clear is that an ICU is not merely a place where specific procedures are performed. Patients can be mechanically ventilated in the post-anesthesia care unit; renal replacement therapy is a common practice in nephrology units; and vasopressors are routinely used in coronary care units. An intensive care unit is a specific entity with unique characteristics. It gathers people with different backgrounds (physicians, nurses, different therapists, clerks, etc.) working 24 h a day taking care of critically ill patients, and the care provided encompasses many aspects of medicine, including ethical concerns. As a consequence, working as a team with a shared culture of care is of paramount importance [2]. …