Critical Care

We give special care to people who are very sick or hurt. Our team watches you closely and uses the best tools to help your body heal. You are in safe hands with us.

Intensive care to help you heal

Critical care is special care given in the intensive care unit, or ICU for short. The ICU is a hospital unit where people who need extra help to get better are watched very closely, all day and night.

Our team of anesthesiologists, surgical intensivists, medical intensivists, pulmonologists, nurses and therapists work together to give you the best care. They check on you often and use special machines to help you breathe or support your heart if needed. These machines also tell us how your body is doing.

We give medicines to keep your blood pressure steady and help your body fight sickness. If you can’t eat, we provide food and fluids through a small tube. We work hard to keep you comfortable and supported so you and your loved ones can feel cared for while you rest and get stronger every day.
nurse outside a bay of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
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Treatments

We’re focused on your whole health, not simply one part. Some diseases can affect multiple organ systems like the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. Our intensivists act as the conductors for an entire orchestra of specialists working in harmony for a healthier you.

Our approach to critical care has produced impressive results. We're always in pursuit of what’s next in critical care, and what's next for your care. That's why our critical care team has gained recognition for improving:

  • Survival rates from critical illness
  • Time spent in the ICU
  • Rates of complications

Some of our brightest minds are at the forefront of developing protocols to standardize care for patients living with critical conditions. These protocols result in fewer medical errors and better survival rates. Our success has led a number of hospitals nationwide to adopt many of our protocols.

ECMO care wherever it’s needed

ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) is a special treatment that helps the heart and lungs when they need extra support to work. Our ECMO team is ready 24/7 to respond quickly, provide steady care, and give people the best chance to get better.

We offer ECMO at Tufts Medical Center and also mobile ECMO. For mobile ECMO, if someone needs this support but can’t be safely moved, we bring our expert team and equipment to nearby hospitals across Massachusetts. After starting ECMO, we safely bring the person back to Tufts Medical Center for ongoing care. 

ECMO can help when someone has: 

  • A serious infection or trauma
  • A sudden cardiac event or arrest
  • Life-threatening lung problems like pneumonia, ARDS or severe asthma
  • Severe heart failure
  • Trouble recovering after surgery 
How does ECMO work?

When the heart or lungs aren’t working well enough, ECMO gives the body time to rest and heal.

  • Blood is gently taken out through a soft tube in a large vein
  • The ECMO machine adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide
  • The clean blood is pumped back into the body to keep vital organs working

Some people need ECMO for just a few days, others a bit longer. Our team watches closely 24/7 and adjusts care as needed.

By starting ECMO at a local hospital, we avoid dangerous delays—making it safer and easier to transfer someone to Tufts Medical Center for continued care.

 
Katie Miller, RN comforts patient in the SICU at Tufts Medical Center.
Support

Here for families and loved ones, too

Caring for a loved one with a critical illness can be a heavy weight to bear. But you don’t have to carry it alone. With the help of our nursing staff, we work hard to keep families up to date on their loved one’s progress following major surgery.

Sometimes family members are responsible for making care-related decisions. If this is the case, one of our medical intensivists will give you all the information you need to confidently make the right calls for you and your loved ones. 
Anasuya Gunturi MD, PhD talks with patient at Lowell General Hospital's Women's Wellness Center clinic appointment.
Our locations

From regular office visits to inpatient stays, find the healthcare you need and deserve close to home.
Family physician Sarwada Tuladhar Jha, MD talking to patient during exam at a clinic appointment and inputting health information at the computer.
Our doctors + care team

Meet the doctors and care team devoted to supporting you every step of the way along your path to better health.

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