intensive care
C1Medical/Healthcare, Formal, Journalism
Definition
Meaning
Hospital department providing constant monitoring and life support for critically ill patients.
A period of concentrated, round-the-clock medical treatment; figuratively, a situation requiring extreme, focused attention or support.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Functions primarily as an uncountable noun phrase ('in intensive care'), but can be used attributively ('intensive care unit'). The concept is defined by the level of monitoring and intervention, not merely by the severity of illness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The acronym 'ICU' (Intensive Care Unit) is universally used.
Connotations
Associated with high technology, critical life-or-death situations, and significant medical costs.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties in medical contexts. Slightly more frequent in US media discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be in intensive carebe transferred to intensive careneed intensive carespend [time period] in intensive careVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on life support (figurative)”
- “touch and go”
- “fight for one's life”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; used metaphorically: 'The project is in intensive care and needs immediate funding.'
Academic
Common in medical, nursing, and public health research literature.
Everyday
Common in news reports about accidents or serious illnesses.
Technical
Core term in clinical medicine, with sub-specialties (e.g., neuro-intensive care, cardiac ICU).
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- She is an intensive care specialist.
- The patient required intensive care support.
American English
- He works in intensive care medicine.
- They discussed the intensive care protocols.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He is very ill and in the hospital.
- After the accident, she was taken to intensive care.
- The patient spent three weeks in intensive care before showing signs of improvement.
- Advances in intensive care medicine have significantly improved survival rates for septic shock.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'INTENSE' + 'CARE' – the care is so intense it requires constant, focused attention.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEALTH CARE IS WAR (battle for life, frontline medicine, fighting infection).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'интенсивная забота'; use 'реанимация' or 'отделение интенсивной терапии'.
- Do not confuse with 'urgent care' (неотложная помощь).
Common Mistakes
- *'intensive cares' (uncountable)
- *'in an intensive care' (article not used with 'care' in this phrase)
- *'intensive cured' (misinterpretation as a verb).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'intensive care' primarily refer to?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is typically used as an uncountable noun phrase (e.g., 'in intensive care'). The countable unit is the 'intensive care unit' (ICU).
They are largely synonymous in modern usage, though 'critical care' is sometimes considered a broader term encompassing intensive care and other high-level support.
Yes, figuratively to describe a situation needing extreme, focused attention (e.g., 'The company's finances are in intensive care').
No, the article is not used with 'care' in this specific phrase. You say 'The patient is in intensive care,' not '*in an intensive care'.