Consultant in Critical Care

Overview

The critical care unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest general adult critical care unit in the region, with 33 commissioned beds (L3: 17 beds; L2: 16 beds with 5 additional L1.5 surgical beds), and over 1600 emergency admissions in addition to a large number of elective surgical admissions managed by 19 critical care consultants. There is a wide spectrum of pathology provided by medical and surgical patients admitted from within and outside the hospital.

The bed occupancy usually exceeds 85%. Haemodialysis and haemofiltration are performed on approximately 15% of patients, reflecting the patient population admitted. The unit can treat severe respiratory failure with regular proning. Our nearest ECMO unit is in Wythenshawe. There is access to transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography for haemodynamic monitoring. The unit has accredited FICE, TOE and CUSIC mentors and supervisors.

Our case mix includes a high proportion of medical admissions. Because the hospital is a tertiary referral centre, we manage critically ill patients with infectious diseases, acute pancreatitis, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and vasculitis.