What are the new guidelines?

The guidelines essentially provide directions on the parameters that qualify a patient for ICU admission. It also defines who can make that call. Some of the key points include: A critically ill patient cannot be admitted to the ICU without the patient's consent, or the consent of the family (if the patient is not in a position to give consent.) Those who have an illness with limited treatment plan, or have an living will (advanced directive) against ICU care should not be admitted to the ICU. A patient should be discharged when they gain reasonable stability of the acute illness that needed ICU care, or when the patient or their family agrees for ICU discharge. A specialist should be in charge of the ICU, taking these calls. An intensivist is defined as a doctor with an MBBS degree with at least three years of experience working in the intensive care department.

According to the experts FIT spoke to, the new guidelines basically empower patients and their families to know why their relatives are or aren't being admitted to the ICU.

But aren't these already known?

The guidelines themselves aren't new, per say. Dr Ray says that the Indian society of critical care has had a very similar framework of guidelines that they have been following for years now.

Who qualifies to take these decisions?

According to Dr Sumit Ray, something that could be potentially problematic is its definition of who qualifies as an intensivist. "The last point says that if you do not have a specialised intensivist, even someone with an MBBS, and three years of experience in the ICU would qualify." According to Dr Ray, "Yes, they can take care of patients in the ICU if there is no one else available, but an Intensivist cannot be defined as such." However, according to Dr Mehta:

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Who Can Be Admitted to the ICU? Doctors Break Down Centre’s New Guidelines

How do the new guidelines impact patients?

Anoushka Rajesh

Updated: 06 Jan 2024, 1:24 PM IST

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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued fresh guidelines for hospitals and intensivists on when and who should be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

"The guidelines have been developed by a group of intensivists, from both the private and the government sector," Dr Yatin Mehta, Chairman, Institute of Critical Care and Anaesthesiology, Medanta, Gurugram, tells FIT.

What do the new guidelines say? What does it mean for you? Here's what experts are saying.

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Topics: ICU Health Ministry Guidelines

Published: 05 Jan 2024, 12:55 PM IST