icu

Everyday

1. ICU stands for «intensive care unit»: the part of a hospital where very ill or badly hurt patients get constant care and special machines to help them breathe and keep their heart working. tree →
2. (texting, informal) «icu» can be read as «I see you». tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life you hear «in ICU» or «in the ICU» when someone is very seriously ill, in news reports and hospital dramas. Doctors and nurses watch ICU patients day and night. Related: PICU (paediatric ICU, for children), NICU (neonatal ICU, for new babies). In the UK it is also called «intensive care» or «ITU».

Examples

• Grandad was moved to the ICU after his operation. tree →
• The ICU nurses checked on him every few minutes. tree →
• Babies born very early may spend weeks in the NICU. tree →
• The news said the injured driver was in ICU. tree →
• Only two visitors at a time are allowed in the ICU. tree →
• My aunt is an ICU doctor. tree →
• The patient got better and left the ICU for an ordinary ward. tree →

Note

Say each letter: «I-C-U». Write it in capitals: ICU. Being in the ICU means someone is very ill, but many patients get better and go home. In texting, «icu» meaning «I see you» is playful slang, not the hospital sense.