Neurocritical Care
What is neurocritical care?
Neurocritical care is intensive care for people who have serious neurological issues. This specialized medical field, a subspecialty of neurology, generally focuses on providing life-saving care in a hospital setting.
When might I need neurocritical care?
You might need neurocritical care if you have a neurological illness or complications from neurological surgery. Some examples of conditions that neurocritical care specialists often treat include:
- Massive stroke
- Brain bleeds - subarachnoid, subdural, intraventricular, and intracerebral hemorrhages
- Brain trauma
- Brain tumors
- Cerebral edema
- Brain compression
- Neuromuscular disease - Myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and others
- Brain damage following cardiac arrest
- Spinal cord injuries
- Status epilepticus - a seizure of five minutes or longer
- Meningitis - bacterial and fungal forms
Neurocritical care covers a very wide field, so these are only some of the many different conditions that the brain and spine specialists at Ventura Neuroscience Center treat regularly.
What does neurocritical care include?
Neurocritical care includes the full spectrum of necessary care, not just your neurological care. If you develop complications in areas beyond your brain and spine – for example, problems with your heart, kidney, lungs, or other organs – your neurocritical care specialist expertly manages those issues while also maintaining the best in brain and spine care.
Your neurocritical care isn't limited to strictly medical treatments, either. You'll receive support ranging from nutrition to social support. Your neurocritical caregivers focus on both your immediate emergency needs and also the care that you need to be as comfortable and healthy as possible.
The people who are closest to neurocritical care patients also receive compassionate support and expert guidance as they try to navigate a potentially stressful time with their sick loved one.
What care providers administer neurocritical care?
Neurocritical care is a team effort that typically includes not only your neurologist and neurological surgeon but also other specialists such as radiologists, rehabilitative specialists, and other important medical care personnel.
Neurocritical care gives you the best in customized high-level neurological and whole-body care in a controlled setting.