Is the Intensive care unit and the Critical Care Unit the same thing? If not, whats the difference?

Question

Is the Intensive care unit and the Critical Care Unit the same thing? If not, whats the difference?

Answer 1

Same thing. Some hospitals use ICU(intensive) some CCU(critical).  Probably someone in a suit and tie somewhere will say there is a difference until you drive up the street  to the next hospital where they have ICUs instead of CCUs.

Answer 2

In some hospitals there is no difference.  But in those where there is usually the ICU cares for more seriously ill patients.

Answer 3

Just different words for the same thing.

Larger hospitals have a lot of critical care areas, and they may choose different names to differentiate among them.

There are also stepdown units that have a higher level of care than a regular hospital bed, but not as intensive as an ICU/CCU.