Welcome to our website

Our ward's mission is to care for critically ill patients with diseases from the entire field of internal medicine.

Our nursing care is based on the MHH mission statement and the nursing concept of Hannover Medical School. It is planned, carried out and evaluated in a patient-oriented manner, taking into account the psychosocial situation.

The ward has a total of 14 modern intensive care units. The ward is divided into two care areas, each with single and double rooms. In addition, a separate acute treatment ward is available for minor invasive procedures. In the event of bereavement, relatives can say a dignified farewell in a specially equipped room, regardless of their religious affiliation.

Our nursing team consists of full-time and part-time registered nurses, some of whom have two years of specialist training in intensive care and anesthesia care. Participation in internal and external training courses is an integral part of our Human Resources. New colleagues are supported by trained mentors and practical instructors during the induction period and beyond. Trainees from the nursing school are accompanied and guided by a mentor throughout their entire period of employment. This gives them the opportunity to gain an initial insight into intensive care.

We guarantee continuous care by working in a three-shift system in order to restore the well-being and health of our patients through interdisciplinary cooperation.

The focus of our nursing work is the monitoring and treatment of patients with life-threatening diseases from the Department of Internal Medicine.

This includes the early recognition and management of emergency situations. Our ward has facilities to bridge organ functions, particularly in the event of liver, lung and kidney failure. Specialist nursing services on our ward include Nursing and monitoring of patients who require lung-protective therapy in the form of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). At our center, ECMO is also applied to awake, spontaneously breathing patients. This requires the highest level of nursing expertise and sensitivity in psychological care. Some special forms of ventilation are also used on ward 14, such as non-invasive ventilation and nitrogen ventilation. The weaning of patients after lung transplantation or long-term intensive care is another focus of our work. We also treat patients with life-threatening metabolic imbalances and poisoning. All blood purification procedures are carried out on our ward in close cooperation with the dialysis department.

Other specialized nursing services on our ward include Nursing and monitoring of patients with:

Gastroenterological diseases

• Acute and chronic liver failure
• Coma hepaticum
• gastrointestinal bleeding
• hepatitis
• liver dysfunction
• oesophageal variceal bleeding
• pancreatitis

Pulmonary diseases

• Acute and chronic kidney failure
• ARDS (acute respiratory failure)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
• Cystic fibrosis
• Nephrological diseases
• Patients on dialysis
• Patients with plasmapheresis
• pneumonia
• pulmonary hypertension
• status asthmaticus
• Weaning in long-term ventilated patients (e.g. after lung transplantation)

Intoxications due to:

• Chemicals
• stimulants and drugs
• Tuber leaf fungi
• medications

Hemato-oncological diseases:

• Acute lymphatic and myeloid leukemia
• chemotherapies
• Chronic lymphocytic and myeloid leukemia
• bone marrow transplants
• tumors

Infectious diseases:

• HIV
• Sepsis / blood poisoning
• Tuberculosis

Autoimmune diseases:

• Wegener's disease
• TTP (Moschcowitz disease)
• vasculitis

Transplants:

• Patients after bone marrow transplantation
• Patients before and after liver transplantation
• Patients before and after lung transplantation
• Patients after kidney transplantation

Your relative is in our intensive care unit. This is probably a very worrying situation for you.

We would like to provide you with the following information to help you better understand the situation your relative is in.

For some patients, breathing must be supported by a ventilator. This device is connected to the patient via tubes. Air flows in and out via the breathing tube, which is inserted into the windpipe through the mouth or nose. Inserting the tube is called intubation, removing it is called extubation. If the patient needs the help of the ventilator for a longer period of time, a tracheotomy may be performed. As long as the tube is in place, the patient cannot speak, drink or eat. Depending on the patient's situation and the medication used, you may find your relative in an artificial deep sleep, dazed or awake. The awake patient has the opportunity to express themselves through signs and gestures or in response to specific questions. When the tube is removed and the patient is sufficiently awake, they can speak again.

The patient is connected to monitors for constant monitoring of heart function, blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen levels and other important bodily functions. The data is recorded via sensors (electrodes) attached to the body and connected to the monitoring devices via cables. The measured values can be read off in the form of curves or figures on the corresponding screens. Almost all devices in the intensive care unit react to even the smallest changes with audible and visible signals. This does not usually mean acute danger, but the alarms draw our attention to a particular situation and help us to act in good time in an emergency.

Thin plastic tubes (venous catheters) inserted into a blood vessel ensure the necessary supply of medication, fluids and nutrients. As long as the patient is unable to eat and drink normally, nutrition is provided either via a tube inserted through the nose into the stomach (gastric tube) or via the venous catheter. Body fluids, such as gastric juice or urine, are drained through a gastric tube or bladder catheter. After an operation, tubes(drains) are sometimes placed in the wound area to drain secretions and blood so that wound healing is not impaired. These fluids are collected in collection bags or bottles that are attached to the edge of the bed. Special mattresses on the patient beds are designed to prevent the development of pressure sores (decubiti). Sometimes elaborate special beds are also used for special positioning.

Sometimes a patient has to be isolated because regular bacteriological tests reveal bacteria that are resistant to a large number of antibiotics, i.e. against which these antibiotics are no longer effective. These bacteria are therefore referred to as multi-resistant. If multi-resistant bacteria are detected in patients, it may be necessary to take special hygiene measures to prevent the transmission of these bacteria to other patients. A sign on the room door will inform you of this and the nursing staff will help you to behave appropriately.

We ask you to disinfect your hands regularly. You will find disinfectant dispensers in the visitors' room and in front of each patient room.

Our intensive care unit has regulated work processes. We try to maintain the day-night rhythm for the patient. Doctors examine the patient, determine the therapy and carry out the necessary treatments. They are supported by the nursing staff, who monitor the patient, carry out certain therapeutic measures and record the course of treatment. The nursing staff also support the patient with personal hygiene, mobilization and food intake. Various tasks are also carried out alternately by nursing staff and physicians. However, this routine can be interrupted by acute events. This then requires a change in the work routine and can temporarily give the impression of restlessness.

If necessary, please bring the patient's glasses, dentures or hearing aids with you. You are also welcome to bring your relative hygiene items such as a razor, toothbrush, deodorant or skin lotion. Other personal items and food only after consultation with the nursing staff.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us. For data protection reasons, we are only allowed to provide information to direct relatives. We would ask you to coordinate within the family so that only one person calls and asks for information and then passes it on.

However, we kindly ask you to observe the following handover times and ward rounds, during which it is generally not possible to have a detailed conversation: 06:00 - 11:00 and 19:00 - 21:00.

We will inform you immediately of any serious changes in your relative's condition.

Our visiting hours are daily from 3pm to 7pm. (maximum 2 visitors per patient per day)

• You enter the MHH through the main entrance (building K6) and walk through the shopping street to elevator node_A.
• There you take the passenger elevator to floor 4.
• This will take you directly to our front door.

Dear visitors,

Visiting an intensive care unit is often not a pleasant experience, but we will do our best to accommodate your needs as far as possible.

Please contact us using the hands-free telephone . You will find the telephone in front of the entrance to the intensive care unit. Please do not enter the intensive care unit until you have registered by telephone and have been requested to do so by the nursing staff. Depending on the situation, we will direct you to your relatives or ask you to come to our visitors' room for a short time.

To ensure that the ward runs smoothly, we ask you to keep to the following times: between 15:00 and 20:00.

We ask for your understanding that even during the specified visiting times there may bewaiting times due to medical and nursing measures until we can accompany you to the patients. In this case, please always sit in the waiting room. The nurse in charge will ask you to come in as soon as possible.

Too many and too frequent visits can be stressful for you and the patient. We therefore ask you to limit the number of visitors per visit to a maximum of 2 people .

Visiting children and adolescents in an intensive care unit is problematic. Please contact us in advance!

Please do not leave any personal belongings unattended, use the lockable cupboards in the visitors' waiting room and always take your valuables with you to the ward.

Flowers and plants are not permitted in the intensive care unit for reasons of hygiene.