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Occasionally, stable ICU patients may require a level of care that
cannot be provided on a general hospital ward but may be safely
delivered in a "less intense" ICU. This area is often referred to as
the "step down ICU" but truly represents a step up or improvement in
the patient's condition.
The step down ICU is similar to the standard ICU except that the
patients admitted to the step down ICU are usually not at risk to
become unstable or require emergency treatments. Therefore the level
of nurse/doctor-patient interaction may be less in the step down
ICU. Similar to the standard ICU, patients are assessed daily and
the need for continued step down ICU care is continuously
re-evaluated.
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