Invitación al tema de las unidades de neurointensivo / An invitation to the topic of neurointensive units

ABSTRACT

The paper Admission to neurological intensive care who, when, and why? by Howard RS, Kullmann DM, Hirsch NP published in J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003; 74 (Suppl III) iii2-iii9, lists and briefly comments on the pathologies treated in a neurointensive care unit. Two interesting concepts discussed in the paper are 1. Exhaustive care given by the nursing staff and early kinesiological treatment are key to achieving positive results among patients hospitalized in any type of intensive care unit; and 2. A patient suffering from a serious neurological illness should be hospitalized in neurointensive care rather than in a general critical care unit since specialized care units can better anticipate a patientÆs needs due to the staffÆs greater knowledge of the nature of neurological illnesses and a keener ability to recognize complications early on.