Common ICU Treatments

Your loved one may be receiving treatments and medications that are completely unfamiliar to you. That’s normal — most families have never encountered any of this before. This guide explains the most common ICU treatments in plain language so you know what to expect and what questions to ask.

Mechanical Ventilation

A ventilator is a machine that helps your loved one breathe when their lungs need support. It pushes air into the lungs through a tube placed in the mouth and down into the windpipe. This tube is called an endotracheal tube (ETT) and is held in place by a strap on the face and neck.

Why it’s used: When someone is too sick or weak to breathe on their own, the ventilator does the work — making sure enough oxygen gets in and carbon dioxide gets out. While the machine handles breathing, the body can focus on healing.

What you’ll notice: The machine makes rhythmic sounds as it delivers breaths. Your loved one won’t be able to talk while the tube is in place. They will usually be given sedation medication to keep them comfortable and calm.

Important things to know about ventilators

• No food or drink: Patients with breathing tubes can’t have anything by mouth — not even water. This protects the lungs. The team uses special swabs to keep the mouth moist.
• Mouth care: Every 2 hours, the nurse cleans the mouth with a special antibacterial swab. This helps prevent pneumonia.
• Suctioning: A nurse or respiratory therapist will occasionally suction the tube to clear mucus. This can sound alarming but is routine and helps the patient breathe more easily.
• Wake-up tests: The team will periodically reduce sedation to let the patient wake up briefly. This helps them assess brain function and readiness to breathe independently. It’s called a Spontaneous Awakening Trial.
• Breathing tests: Each day, the team may let the patient try breathing more on their own while still connected to the ventilator. This is called a Spontaneous Breathing Trial. It’s how they determine if the tube can come out.
• Weaning: Coming off the ventilator is gradual. The team slowly reduces how much work the machine does. This can take days or weeks — every patient is different. Don’t compare your loved one’s timeline to anyone else’s.

Some patients who need longer-term ventilator support may have a tracheostomy — a small surgical opening in the neck. This is more comfortable for the patient during a longer stay and can actually allow them to be more awake and sometimes communicate.

Common Medications

ICU patients often receive several medications at the same time through IV pumps. Here are the most common types and what they do:

IV fluids: Keep the body hydrated and help maintain blood pressure. Common examples include saline, dextrose, and albumin. They also help balance important body salts (electrolytes).

Pain medications: Manage pain so the patient can rest and heal. Complete pain elimination may not be possible, but the team works to keep pain at a manageable level. Common examples: fentanyl, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), morphine.

Sedatives: Keep the patient calm and comfortable, especially on a ventilator. They may cause temporary memory loss. The team adjusts these regularly to find the right balance between comfort and alertness. Common examples: propofol, midazolam (Versed).

Vasopressors (blood pressure medications): Raise blood pressure when it drops dangerously low. Given through an IV and adjusted constantly based on what the monitors show. Common examples: norepinephrine, phenylephrine.

Antibiotics: Fight infections. The team tests to make sure they’re needed and working, and is careful not to overuse them. Common examples: cefepime, vancomycin.

Heart medications: Help the heart work more effectively when it’s struggling. Common examples: dopamine, dobutamine.

Blood thinners: Prevent blood clots, which are a significant risk for patients who aren’t moving. May be given as an injection or through an IV.

Blood products: Replace blood components that are low — red blood cells, platelets, or plasma. Given through an IV, similar to a transfusion.

Electrolyte replacements: Replace important body salts like potassium, calcium, and magnesium that can become depleted during critical illness.

Steroids: Reduce inflammation and swelling. Common examples: hydrocortisone, prednisone.

Diuretics (water pills): Help the body remove extra fluid. Common example: furosemide (Lasix).

Soft Restraints

You may see soft padded restraints on your loved one’s wrists. This can be upsetting — but they serve an important safety purpose. When patients are sedated or confused, they may instinctively reach for tubes and lines, which could cause serious harm if pulled out.

Restraints are not punishment. They are temporary safety measures. The team checks them regularly and removes them as soon as it’s safe to do so. If this bothers you, talk to your nurse — they can explain why they’re being used for your loved one specifically.

Questions You Can Ask

You don’t need to understand every medication or setting. But knowing the basics helps you feel less lost. Try asking:

• “What is this medication for?”
• “Are there any side effects I should watch for?”
• “How long will they need to be on the ventilator?”
• “What does it mean when you change the settings?”
• “Is this medication something they’ll need to continue after they leave the ICU?”

Your care team wants you to understand what’s happening. Asking questions is not bothering them — it’s part of being an advocate for your loved one.