Management of the Patient with Chronic Critical Illness - Part 2.

Patients with chronic critical illness (CCI) represent a growing segment of the hospitalized population. Key aspects of care in CCI patients including tracheostomy, prolonged mechanical ventilation, nutritional support, wound care, and others require a comprehensive, goal-directed approach. Infectious complications of CCI including pneumonia, tracheobronchitis and urinary tract infection may be caused by nosocomial organisms requiring awareness and adjustment of treatment regimen. Finally, psychiatric, palliative, rehabilitative components of care impact heavily upon outcomes in CCI patients. As care that is typically associated with the intensive care unit is extended to the hospital ward, we aim to increase awareness among providers and outline a systematic approach to deliver high quality, patient centered care to CCI patients.