Neurocritical is an adjective referring to patients, conditions, or care related to critical illness involving the nervous system, particularly in the context of neurocritical care units (Neuro-ICUs).
✅ Formal definition: Neurocritical: Pertaining to the management, monitoring, and treatment of patients with life-threatening neurological or neurosurgical conditions requiring intensive care.
🔍 Examples of neurocritical conditions: Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage
Large ischemic strokes with cerebral edema
Status epilepticus
Postoperative care following major neurosurgical procedures
Neuroinfectious complications with systemic instability
⚕️ Related term: Neurocritical care = a multidisciplinary subspecialty that combines principles of critical care and neurology/neurosurgery to treat acutely ill patients with complex brain or spinal cord disorders.