Intensive care bed or ICU bed is also known as the "Special care bed" or "Coronary care bed ".  It means a hospital bed in which some kind of special medical or surgical services, like intensive care or coronary care, are provided to the patients. When it comes to life-threatening illness or injury, there is the need of a bed that will help doctors and nurses to deliver proper care in demanding situations. Hospital intensive care beds assist in the efficient delivery of care.

What is a Coronary Care or Intensive Care Bed?
The demand for intensive care has increased a lot. But the provision of intensive care has lagged behind that demand. Thus, patients who need intensive care are increasingly transferred to another hospital for such care. There are fewer special care beds per person in many hospitals. A crtical care bed is used for those people who cannot be managed safely on an open acute ward. This bed usually cater for those types of patients with an acute psychotic episode who need time in a locked environment to receive the treatment that they require. These hospital intensive care beds can support critically ill/injured patients. Once given intensive care, the patient is transferred to the recovery bed.

Some Features of ICU Beds

• ICU beds are fully electric or semi electric or manual adjustable beds.
• Adjustable end: Special care beds have the facility to provide perfectly smooth medically important positions for the patient. The ICU bed enables the patient to rest at different angles or to sit up and eat.
• Positions available: Trendelenburg, Reverse Trendelenburg, Reclining, Horizontal, Contour, Fowler
• Hand control switches: Shock Free Hand Controlled switches are available in ICU beds.  Hand control switches provide easy control of all movements. Bed controls at foot and head-end ensure easy access.
• Easy transportation: The critical care beds are generally mobile on 4 wheels which are provided with total lock, directional lock and total free movements.
• Rubber rollers buffers are provided to avoid accidents.
• Strong and durable: ICU beds are capable of supporting heavy loads.
• Accessories: The bed is designed in such a way that it can hold other accessotires like X-ray unit, IV stands, bed rails etc.

Advanced Features

Nowadays in the modern health care units, the ICU nursing beds are available with many more sophisticated features. Some ICU nursing beds functions are controlled with a foot end touch screen interface using a powerful on-bed computer. This makes it easier for the doctors as well as the caregivers to see the patient's  weight history graph of the last 40-50 weights. A foot activated brake system also eliminates the need for bending and reaching.