Neuroscience ICU

The UCI Health Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (Neuro-ICU) is a 12-bed, highly specialized unit where critically ill patients with brain and spine disorders receive state-of-the-art intensive medical and surgical management.

Ours is one of the few neuro-intensive care units in Southern California — and the only one in Orange County — that is staffed full-time by fellowship-trained, board-certified neurointensivists who specialize in both neurological and medical intensive care.

Our team

Our neurointensivists provide state-of-the-art specialized intensive care around the clock to patients with neurological and neurosurgical conditions, ranging from seizure disorders and strokes to traumatic brain injury and aneurysms.

To achieve optimal outcomes for our patients, our physicians use the latest technology to monitor and guide therapeutic interventions.

Neurological intensive care requires a high level of skill and coordinated care by different specialists.

The neurointensivist assumes the lead role in caring for the ICU patient. We seek to provide balanced, integrated care that considers the patient as a whole, rather than treat the brain and other organ systems separately.

Our clinical and translational research complements our ability to provide the best neurocritical care available.

View our stroke quality data ›

Conditions and treatments

We see and treat neurological disorders of all types, including:

Why choose us

• Neurological diseases are complex and are best treated by specialists who have experience in applying advanced neuromonitoring, neuroimaging and critical care techniques to the specific needs of neurological patients.
• Specialized intensive care immediately following neurological injury or neurosurgical procedures is crucial to improving outcomes. The UCI Health Neuroscience ICU brings together specialty trained physicians and nurses with advanced technology to focus on treating life-threatening neurological diseases.
• Neurological patients admitted to a neuro-ICU led by a board-certified neurointensivist have had improved outcomes, shorter lengths of stay and lower total costs of care when compared with similar patients treated in a general ICU setting.
• The neurointensivist is responsible for various elements of ICU care that might otherwise be provided by multiple subspecialists, such as neurologists, pulmonologists, cardiologists and endocrinologists. They collaborate closely with neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, neurologists, otolaryngologists, anesthesiologists and other care providers.
• The combination of our neurointensivists' highly specialized training and the neuro-ICU's state-of-the-art technology enables us to deliver world-class, compassionate and comprehensive care to our patients.

FAQs

What is a neuro-ICU?

Neuro-ICUs are one of the newest and fastest-growing specialty clinical environments in major medical centers today. These ICUs are unique, bringing together specially trained personnel, sophisticated monitoring techniques and specialized treatment modalities for patients with neurological conditions in a 24-hour monitored setting. They are focused on a single goal: improving outcomes of patients with neurological diseases.

What does a neurointensivist do?

The neurointensivist assumes the primary role in the care of critically ill patients, based on their unique knowledge of the interface of the brain with other organ systems. The neurointensivist coordinates neurological and medical management, providing effective collaboration and communication among the specialists who make up the medical team.