Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine
Department of Internal Diseases
The Intensive Care Unit - Internal Diseases
The Intensive Care Unit was founded approximately 35 years ago in Faculty of Medicine of Hacettepe University. After completing the intensive care training in the United States of America, Prof. Arzu Topeli İskit, M.D. became the responsible chairman of the unit in 1996 and she has still been carrying out her duty. It is the first and only Intensive Care Unit in Turkey which was accredited by "European Board of Intensive Care Medicine" in education field in 2007, which is affiliated to UEMS (European Union of Medical Specialists). The Division of Intensive Care of Internal Diseases was founded in 2013, under the Internal Diseases Department. Prof. Arzu Topeli İskit, M.D., has still carrying out the duty of Head of the Division.
2 Intensive Care Units under the body of Division of Intensive Care of Internal Diseases offer service, with 17 beds in total, within the Adult Hospital with 9 beds and within the Oncology Hospital with 8 beds. There are total of 4 isolated rooms in the units, two in each of them. In our Intensive Care Units, the caring and treatment of all kinds of critical adult intensive care patients, not only the ones who have internal problems, but also the ones with surgical problems, are carried out in high standards on a 7 days 24 hours basis uninterruptedly.
In all around the world, the intensive care units are the units that are founded in order to have the patients to turn back, who are in severe condition, but not at the end of their lives. The patients whose general conditions are severe and who are at the end of their lives should not be hospitalized in intensive care units, but in certain units which are also named as palliative care units. Therefore, the patient acceptance to the intensive care unit is determined and planned by the intensive care physicians in accordance with the international standards.
The patients with sepsis, shock, multiple organ failure, respiratory failure, severe pneumonia and pulmonary embolism (pulmonary thromboembolism) due to chronic lung diseases (such as COPD, kyphoscoliosis), heart attack complications, rhythm problems in heart, sudden cardiac and respiratory arrest, digestive system bleedings and obstructions, severe liver and kidney failure, certain brain and nerve system diseases, coma, drug poisoning, trauma and the postoperative critical patients are followed-up in our Intensive Care Units.
A well-educated and highly experienced team offers service in the Intensive Care Unit. The aim of this professional team is to ensure the recovery of critical patients. 1 academic staff, 2 instructors, 11 specialized sub-branch research assistant physicians, 8 research assistants and 27 nurses render service within the team. Furthermore, a clinical pharmacist, a physiotherapist and a dietitian offer consultation service. Academic staff of the Department: Prof. Arzu Topeli İskit M.D.
Severe and critical patients are confronted with in each field of medicine. The Intensive Care Unit was commissioned as a result of the effort of the years in order to rescue the patients in this table. Intensive Care is a science which shows a multidisciplinary approach to the critical patients who are between life and death and in which the lifesaving methods are applied. The patients who cannot be unfortunately recovered despite all kinds of treatments are not considered as intensive care patients, but as of palliative care. Therefore, the beds of Intensive Care Units should be used for the patients who have chance to be rescued, not for the patients who at the end of life
There are enhanced monitors that provide following the patients closely, on the head of each intensive care bed. All monitors are connected to the central monitor on the nurse desk and they may be traced separately. Respiration support can be provided both invasively and noninvasively (mechanical ventilation) with a mask by means of the tubes that are placed into the trachea with the respiration equipment which are used in respiratory failure. The dialysis treatments that are used in kidney failure can be applied simply without moving the patients, by means of the bed-side systems. Advanced devices that can make hemodynamic measurements are available for the patients in shock status. These devices are utilized in treating particularly the patients with sepsis. In our unit the ultrasonography which ensures the safety of interventional procedures and an echocardiography device which enables the detailed heart assessment are available. Bronchoscopy is performed when the detailed respiratory system examination is necessary.
Intensive Care Units are the units where the critical patients are followed up by a team with special training, by using advanced and particular devices.
By means of the advanced monitors, we are able to follow up the critical patients closely and respond the life-threatening circumstances quickly. In case of acute deterioration of acute or chronic respiratory failure, life support can be given with respiratory equipment (mechanical ventilators). While the supplement treatment is proceeding, we utilize the pumps that enable us to administer the medications and liquids for treatment, in appropriate doses and at certain intervals. We provide shock management particularly in patients who are in shock, by means of the advanced devices which make hemodynamic measurements of blood pressure values and heart functions that we monitor with particular catheters. In case of kidney failure, which is frequently seen in intensive care, due to the increased toxins and liquid load in blood, the dialysis and ultrafiltration supports are provided.
The patients from emergency service, inpatient clinics of our hospitals and other hospitals by means of the ambulances sent from 112 or other ambulances, are accepted to our Intensive Care Units. Patients who are hospitalized in other Intensive Care Units,, are accepted to our Intensive Care Units by the intensive care physicians due to the health and safety of the patients in accordance with the hospitalization need criteria, only if it will provide contribution to the status of the patients, since there is a big number of patients who need to be hospitalized.
The relatives of the patients are given detailed information about their patients in the meeting room every day at 11:00. However, if an emergency intervention takes place, the meeting may not be made. Considering the workload of the physicians, only one or two first degree relatives of the patients should be in contact with the physicians in order a regular information flow about the status of the patients to be provided. In case of an adverse event develop during the patients' follow ups, the relatives of the patients are informed by being called from the telephone numbers that they leave. The patients' relatives are contacted and notified when the patients will be transferred to the inpatient service. The visiting hours are between 13.30 and 13.30, however the physicians and the nurses may extend the visiting hours in accordance with the needs of patients or may restrict the visiting hours for certain patients.
The most significant requirement in order to be protected from infection in intensive care units is ensuring the hand hygiene. Therefore, the hand hygiene should be ensured before and after each contact with the patients in patient visits. For that reason, after you spray the disinfectant, which is located on the bedside of the patient, on your hand, rub your hands properly and wait until it dries. Perform the same procedure after you contact with the patient, before you leave the intensive care unit, visit the patient after you wash your hands with the liquid soap in the washbasins, which are located in the entrance of the intensive care unit and dry, and definitely repeat the same procedure while you are leaving. Do not contact the other patients, other than yours, and the materials.
It is not necessary to wear apron, overshoes, mask and gloves while coming in the Intensive Care Units. These specific clothes are only used for particular patients who are determined by the physicians and nurses.
The physicians make the decision about visiting the patients with weakened immune system or an infectious disease. Visit of the isolated patients is allowed by providing the isolation information to the relatives of these patients.
Ask your concerns about your patient only the physician and the nurse of your patient, not the relatives of other patients or other physicians and medical staff.
Home care services are developed in all around the world, in order to provide the care patients and their relatives to sustain their lives more comfortable in home environment and to reduce costs, by means of the of the technological developments. In our Intensive Care Unit, the home care plans for the palliative patients who do not have chance recover in the last period are made and the trainings are provided. The materials and devices, which are appropriate to be used in home, are obtained from Social Security Institution, by being reported and the families being informed. The arrangements are made according to the patients for them to sustain their lives in maximum comfort and health. Certain home care patients and the discharged patients may be called by the physicians of the intensive care, by being called to the hospital in certain intervals.
The Intensive Care Units are located on the ground floor of Adult Hospital and on the 3rd floor of Oncology Hospital.
Telephone:
+90 (312) 305 27 05 (Adult Hospital, Internal Diseases Intensive Care Unit)
+90 (312) 305 32 26 (Oncology Hospital, Internal Diseases Intensive Care Unit)