The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at KHCC is a multidisciplinary 12-bed unit that provides care for critically ill patients.  The adult unit is separate from another 6-bed unit that is dedicated to pediatric patients. The unit is supported by the full spectrum of medical and surgical services available at KHCC.  The ICU provides the highest level of care to critically ill patients. We integrate state of-the-art technologies with medical care to help our patients.  Our recipe for success also includes lots of love and sympathy for our patients and their families. 

Section Chief’s message:

Staff and Services:

There is a team of 3 intensive care specialists (intensivists): a team of doctors, a team of respiratory therapists and a team of  qualified nurses who work together with physicians and nurses from other specialties to care for the sickest children in the center. Our consultants also offer bedside consultations for children in the floor or the clinic as per the requests of other doctors.

Patients are admitted to the ICU from the floor, the Emergency Room (ER) or the Operating Room (OR).  Floor patients are usually admitted to the hospital to receive treatment or to remedy fever and other problems.  Those admitted are continuously screened to make sure that their conditions are stable.  If problems arise, they are transferred to the ICU to be under close monitoring and receive more care.  Some patients come to the ER sick enough to directly be admitted to the ICU.  Patients undergoing major operations that require close monitoring and management of pain or side effects are also admitted to the ICU.  All patients remain in the ICU until their conditions improve and they are able to be discharged.

The majority of patients admitted to our ICU are discharged in much better conditions and frequently come back to visit our staff and thank them for their care.

Who is an intensivist?

An intensivist is a physician who specializes  in taking care of exceedingly sick patients.  An intensivist should be able to maintain a patient’s vital organs and body parameters throughout the duration of his/her sickness.  Adjusting blood pressure, dealing with sick kidneys and failing hearts, along with delivering “ventilation” when lungs are not doing well are among the primary goals of intensivits.  Other duties of the intensivist include: delivering high doses of medications that are necessary to control pain and inserting central lines to monitor body functions. Our ability as a leading center to deliver enough chemotherapy to treat aggressive cancer depends on the support that our intensivits can provide to sustain our sick patients until they recover from the effects of treatment. 

How is our service unique?

We are very proud of our ICU for many reasons:

1-     We are the only unit in the kingdom that offers specialized intensive care for patients with cancer.

2-     We work closely with a qualified team of physicians to deliver multidisciplinary care.  Our unit is not a place for a “one man show” but rather it is a team effort.

3-     Our staff follows international standards for infection control, pain management and handling patient confidentiality.

4-     Our staff is certified in advanced life support.

5-     Our mortality rate (number of patients who die in the ICU) is among the lowest in the world.

6-     Our team is highly motivated and encouraged by the strength and courage of our patients and their families.