While some patients and families express concern over the costs, many patients acknowledge the high level of care and specialist treatment that ICUs offer. ICUs are increasingly discussed in recent years, yet, ICUs have a long history. 

In the Emergency Department, physicians and nurses stabilize patients and transport them to the ICU or other area of the hospital for further treatment. The long-term management of critically ill and injured patients is provided by critical care professionals, often in the ICU.