Intensive Care Unit

The department offers specialised services to the hospital departments as well as other hospitals within Nairobi which include: blood gas analysis, ethylene oxide sterilization of equipment, dialysis treatment for the critically ill, continuous renal replacement therapy as well as conventional dialysis for the stable patients. As a training centre for critical care nursing, the Nairobi Hospital ICU has been offering experiential training to nursing students at the Cicely McDonnel School as well as other hospital-based students such as Kijabe and Maua.

All ICU nurses and doctors undergo ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) course bi-annually and are equipped with the latest evidence based practice according to American resuscitation protocols. In addition, there is always a doctor on duty, a physiotherapist, a priest and a nutritionist to boost efficiency in care and emergencies.

Facilities

The ICU has the state of the art “ICU specific” electrical beds which have the capacity to weigh the patient, measures angle of inclination, have inbuilt ripple mattresses, and can be used as a chair. Each bedside has a Philips monitor M-50 which is capable of monitoring the heart rate, oxygen saturation, Etco2, invasive haemodynamics i.e. cardiac output, intracranial pressures among others. There is a central monitor console which facilitates monitoring of all patients on a common screen and has printing capability.

Also available are biphasic and monophasic defibrillators and an equipped emergency trolley available which is used to offer emergency services to the rest of the Hospital. The ICU is also equipped with an in-house blood bank for quick access to blood. Modern technology ventilators i.e. The Evita four Edition and the Savina are installed and are used to ventilate both intubated and non intubated patients with varieties as per the patient’s requirement.

The Evita four Edition can ventilate neonates, children and adults as well. Other ventilators include Six servo three 900c ventilators and servo 300A ventilator and incubators for the neonates. Continuous renal replacement machines for dialysing critical patients are available as well as a bronchoscope.

Visiting Hours

ICU has open visiting time between 7am-9pm. This ensures that patients’ visitors spend enough time with their loved ones at the critical moments.