The 48 Hours That Changed How I Look at ICU – Intensive Care Unit

I’m an engineering student from Mumbai University. My father has always had health issues, years of smoking and occasional drinking had left their mark. We had Doctor visits every now and then, but we never thought things would get urgent.

A few months ago, he started feeling breathless and complained of severe chest discomfort. We rushed to a nearby Clinic. The doctor examined him and suggested waiting until the morning for further tests. Something didn’t feel right.

That’s when a mutual friend, whose uncle had survived a cardiac arrest, advised us to meet a renowned cardiologist at another hospital. We didn’t waste a second — we shifted him immediately.

The new doctor quickly diagnosed a blockage in the coronary artery and recommended an angioplasty. Within the hour, he was wheeled into the cath lab where:

– A catheter was inserted through his wrist (radial artery)
– Dye was injected to locate the block
– A balloon was inflated to open the narrowed artery
– A stent was placed to keep it open and restore blood flow
This quick decision likely saved his life.


My First Encounter with Intensive Care Unit – ICU

After the procedure, my father was moved to the hospital’s most monitored section — the critical care ward — the first time I even learned the full form of ICU: Intensive Care Unit.

I had always imagined such units as places where “machines keep people alive.” But in those 48 hours, I learned it’s much more — it’s where every heartbeat, every breath, every change in a patient’s body is monitored second-by-second.

Myths & Facts About Critical Care in India

Myth 1: These wards are just for end-stage patients**
Fact: Many patients are admitted for post-surgery observation, severe infections, or high-risk monitoring — not just at death’s door.

Myth 2: Doctors visit only once a day
Fact: In a good facility, there’s a doctor physically present 24/7, along with highly trained nurses monitoring patients round the clock. Senior consultants do morning and evening rounds, but critical updates happen instantly.

Myth 3: Costs are exaggerated
Fact: In India, charges can range from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 per day in private hospitals, depending on facilities, medicines, and investigations. Public hospitals are cheaper but often overcrowded.

Myth 4: All critical care units are the sam
Fact: Facilities vary widely — from nurse-to-patient ratios to equipment quality. A cardiac care unit, for example, has specialized monitoring for heart rhythms and post-angioplasty care.

Myth 5: Most patients recover if they get admitted
Fact: Survival depends on the underlying condition and how quickly treatment starts. In India, mortality rates can range from 10% for routine post-op patients to over 40% in severe sepsis or multi-organ failure cases.


What I Learned in Those 48 Hours

– Time saves lives — waiting for “morning tests” can cost dearly in heart-related cases or any other serious ailment.
– Community advice matters —that phone call from a Mutual friend pushed us toward a second opinion and the right hospital if not all of this would’ve not been possible.
– Critical care teams are unsung heroes — nurses, junior doctors, and technicians work in silence but carry the weight of every life inside.
– Advanced care is not magic — it relies on technology, medical skill, and constant vigilance.


When my father was finally moved to a general ward, I felt relief — but also deep respect for the world I had just seen up close. Those 48 hours taught me that critical care isn’t just a room full of machines with Healthcare workers running it day in day out, it’s a safety net that catches people when they’re closest to falling.

If there’s one thing I’d tell anyone reading this: don’t ignore symptoms, trust your instincts, and never hesitate to seek a second opinion from someone who has suffered from similar symptoms. In heart disease, minutes can be the difference between losing someone forever and watching them walk back home.