Is trauma and ICU the same thing as ER? If not, what is the difference?

Question

Is trauma and ICU the same thing as ER? If not, what is the difference?

Answer 1

Trauma can be any room used for injuries. Some clinics have no ER, so they use a "trauma room."

ICU is inpatient, with all the bells and whistles.

Here's an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arCITMfxv...

Answer 2

Not exactly.  There may be a trauma ER at a hospital that is designated as a trauma center, as there may be other dedicated emergency rooms (pediatric, psychiatric).  Otherwise any emergency case may be in the same place.

ICU (intensive care unit) is an inpatient ward--for people who have been admitted.  There are lots of different ICUs, too--MICU is a medical ICU, PICU is a pediatric ICU, NICU is neonatal, etc.  So if someone came in with trauma and was brought to the emergency room, they might call a trauma surgeon, they would be admitted and go to surgery, and then afterwards they might go to the SICU--the surgical ICU--or the CCU (the critical care unit).  When they got better and weren't as critical, they might be transferred to a regular surgical ward or even a medical floor where the surgeon would follow them, but where daily care would be accepted by the medical house staff.

Answer 3

The ER (emergency room) receives people who need immediate care.  It could be for illness or trauma (injury).  They are stabilized, treated, and admitted or sent home.  A large hospital may have an emergency department with various sections for trauma, medicine, etc.

An ICU (intensive care unit) is for severely ill or injured patients who need prolonged intensive observation and treatment.  There can be many types of ICUs in a large hospital, medical, cardiac, surgical, trauma, pediatric, neonatal (newborns), etc