Guidelines for intensive care unit design. Guidelines/Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, Society of Critical Care Medicine.

OBJECTIVES

To develop guidelines that can serve as a reference for healthcare institutions wishing to design a new intensive care unit (ICU) or modify an existing ICU.

DATA SOURCES

Medical, nursing, and architectural/design literatures from 1975 to the present related to ICU structure and function; current regulatory standards; consensus opinion of physicians, nurses, and architects with expertise in the ICU environment.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Preference was given to regulatory standards and outcomes-based studies. If none was found, studies showing trends or preferences were combined with consensus opinion to derive models combining cost-efficiency and function.

CONCLUSIONS

ICU design should reflect a multidisciplinary team approach by physician, nursing, administrative, and technical personnel. An optimum ICU design is described herein. Acceptable variations are indicated and essential aspects are emphasized.