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Mercy Hospital St. Louis Intensive Care Unit

About Mercy Hospital St. Louis Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Mercy Hospital St. Louis has four intensive care units located on the 4th floor of the main hospital, staffed by highly-trained critical care physicians and trauma surgeons who care for our acute care patients, usually following admission through our St. Louis Emergency Department.

St. Louis ICU Features

Our ICU at Mercy Hospital St. Louis features the following:

  • One 16-bed trauma-neuro ICU
  • Three 12-bed medical-surgical ICU rooms
  • A 28-bed step-down unit on the 4th floor

Mercy Hospital ICU Resources

While your loved one is a Mercy Hospital St. Louis Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient, you can expect the best care possible for them. Below, you can find resources about where to find things you might need while visiting here. If you have questions, please ask us. We want to help.

We know this can be a stressful time for families. This makes communication even more critical. We’ve found it helps family members to choose a family spokesperson to receive daily updates from ICU physicians, ask questions, and communicate concerns for your family.


Our ICUs at Mercy Hospital St. Louis can be reached at the following unit phone numbers:

  • To contact ICU 474 at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call (314) 251-3474.
  • To get MSICU at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call (314) 251-5870.
  • To contact ICU 475 at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call (314) 351-3475.
  • To get Med Surg Stepdown at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call (314) 251-3490.
  • To contact Burn ICU at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call (314) 251-6055.
  • To contact Trauma Neuro Stepdown at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call (314) 251-3476.

 

The Mercy Heart and Vascular Hospital in St. Louis has two cardiovascular ICUs:
 

  • The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) - a 16-bed unit dedicated to the care of critically ill patients with cardiac and vascular involvement
  • The Surgical Progressive Care Unit (SPCU) - a 16-bed unit that cares for post-operative cardiac and vascular surgery patients.


To reach our cardiovascular ICUs, please call the phone numbers below:
 

  • To contact the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call 314-251-1455.
  • To contact the Surgical Progressive Care Unit (SPCU) at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, please call 314-251-6355.

Two teams staff each ICU:
 

  • Primary daytime team: present from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. This group sets the daily plan, writes daily orders and cares for patients during these hours. They’re most involved in the day-to-day medical treatment of your loved one. A member of this team is responsible for updating you daily.
  • Night team: manages patient care from 5 p.m. until the primary team returns at 6 a.m. The night team continues to care, handles emergencies that arise and admits new patients.
     

It takes many healthcare professionals to provide the care critically ill patients need. While each team member has a specific job, they all work together to meet the needs of our patients and families. Additional ICU medical providers you may encounter include:
 

  • Attending physician: a physician in charge. Attending physicians are board-certified physicians who have completed training in critical care medicine. Some have additional training in pulmonary or neuro-critical care.
  • Trauma physician: a physician in charge of a trauma patient. Board-certified critical care physicians and surgeons who have specialized in the care of trauma patients
  • ICU nurse: specializes in caring for intensive care patients.
  • Nurse practitioners/physician assistants: practice medicine under the supervision of a collaborative physician and report to them. They help admit and manage the care of ICU patients.

This means some critical care team members are learning their jobs under the careful supervision of our experienced physician teachers.
 

  • Fellow: A board-certified physician in training to become a critical care specialist.
  • Resident: A physician who practices medicine under the attending physician’s and fellow’s supervision.
  • Graduate nurses/student nurses doing clinical rotations in our ICU: Nurses who have graduated from nursing school are trained to become ICU nurses. Both are under the direct supervision of the board-certified ICU RNs.

A team of additional caregivers may also care for your loved one. They include:

  • Respiratory therapists: Healthcare professionals who treat, evaluate, and monitor patients with breathing problems. They assist with mechanical ventilation and with following management and weaning protocols.
  • Wound and ostomy nurse: A registered nurse who has additional training in how to care for people who have a wound, an ostomy (an opening made by surgery from an area inside the body to the outside), or problems with continence (ability to control the flow of urine or the passage of stool).
  • Physical therapists: Healthcare professionals trained to maximize patients’ strength and mobility.
  • Speech therapists: Healthcare professionals that focus on relieving patients from severe illness symptoms, pain, and stress.
  • Occupational therapists: Healthcare professionals trained to enhance patients’ ability to attend to activities of daily living.
  • Chaplain: An emotional and spiritual support to patients and their families.
  • Patient care technicians: Performs many essential tasks and patient care activities under the direction of a registered nurse.
  • Registered dietitian: Healthcare professional concerned with the promotion of good health through proper diet and with the therapeutic use of diet in the treatment of disease
  • Patient support associates: Assists with the daily operation of the critical care unit.
  • Speech therapists: Healthcare professionals trained to evaluate and monitor patients’ ability to swallow and eat.
 
  • No more than two visitors at a time in a patient room.
  • No more than one visitor stays overnight in a patient room.
  • No children under age 14.
  • Place cell phones on silent; please leave the unit to make calls.
  • No smoking.
  • Do not visit if you are ill.
  • No live plants, flowers, or balloons.
  • Respect the privacy of other patients/families. If you are asked to leave a patient’s room, please wait outside the unit or in the waiting area.
  • Don’t leave any personal belongings in the waiting room.
  • Please wash your hands with soap, water, or alcohol foam upon entering and exiting a patient room.
  • While the ICU at Mercy Hospital St. Louis is open to visitors 24 hours-a -day, our patients need rest and sleep. Suggested sleep time is 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
  • Daytime visitation is encouraged.
  • The nurse or physician may ask visitors to leave the room at certain times for patient care activities or procedures.
  • When asked to leave the room, please visit a waiting area to maintain patient privacy.

Mercy Hospital St. Louis Resources

Information on services and programs available at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. Mercy Hospital St. Louis offers many community classes, support groups, and educational seminars.