Intensive Care Nursery (ICN)
What is a Level III ICN?
Several neonatal and perinatal organizations,
define "newborn intensive care" as "care
for medically unstable or critically ill newborns
requiring constant nursing, complicated surgical
procedures, continual respiratory support, or
other intensive interventions."
There are three levels in which intensive care
units are classified in their ability to treat
premature or ill newborns. To achieve the best
outcomes, personnel and technology at each level
should be appropriate for patient needs.
Level I Intensive Care Nursery (basic)
Level I or basic neonatal care, is the minimum
requirement for any facility that provides inpatient
maternity care. The institution must have the
personnel and equipment to perform neonatal
resuscitation, evaluate healthy newborn infants
and provide postnatal care, and stabilize ill
newborn infants until the patient can be transfer
to a facility that provides intensive care.
Level II Intensive Care Nursery (specialty)
Level II, or specialty care nurseries, in addition
to providing the basic care of a level I facility,
can provide care to infants who are moderately
ill with problems that are expected to quickly
resolve or who are recovering from a serious
illness previously treated in a level III ICN.
Level III Intensive Care Nursery (subspecialty)
Level III, or subspecialty ICNs, can care for
premature newborns or newborns who are critically
ill or require surgical intervention. A level
III unit must be capable of providing complex,
multi-system life support for an indefinite
period. It must be capable of providing mechanical
ventilation and invasive cardiovascular monitoring;
or care of a similar nature.
The Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania
Hospital provide Level III intensive care
nurseries.
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