What are the key differences between an ICU and CCU?
There is not a huge difference between intensive and coronary care care units.
They both specialise in monitoring and treating patients who need 24-hour care. Medium sized and large hospitals usually have both.
A CCU focuses on patients with heart problems, whilst an ICU provides care for patients with a wide range of life threatening conditions. Hence a CCU is a form of cardiac-specific high dependency unit (HDU).
Intensive and coronary care units treat people with critical conditions, and use similar equipment to monitor and care for them.
The medical equipment in these units typically includes:
- Monitoring systems for heart rate, ECG, blood pressure, temperature and respiratory rate
- Portable chest x-ray
- Pulse oximeter
- Blood gas analyser
- Intravenous (IV) lines, and central vein catheters, for fluids and medication
- ICUs (but not CCUs) have ventilators (breathing machines) and dialysis machines.
Patterns of working
Both have daily ward rounds led by senior doctors (consultants and registrars). On an ICU there is usually one nurse per patient. Whereas on a CCU, there are usually about 3 patients per nurse.
There are usually more physiotherapists (and other AHPs) on an ICU, compared to a CCU.
Summary
What are the key differences between an ICU and CCU. We hope it has been helpful
Other resource
Differences between ICU and HDU
Last Reviewed on 17 April 2024