The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Neuroscience Critical Care Unit (NCCU) is an eight-bed intensive care unit, established to meet the needs of the neuromedical and neurosurgical patients who are critically ill with or without multisystems dysfunction.

Additionally, the six-bed Neurosciences Intermediate Care Unit is designed for patients who are not critically ill, but do require more intensive observation of the neurologic, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

The NCCU is fully equipped with state-of-the-art monitoring, mechanical ventilation and related intensive care support systems to provide comprehensive patient care in a critical care setting.

Physicians in the NCCU are formally trained in neurology, anesthesiology or both, with additional sub-specality training in neurological critical care. NCCU nurses are trained in critical care and neurology.

Scope of Care

The majority of patients admitted to the NCCU include those suffering from:

• Cerebrovascular disorders (aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage)
• Ischemic stroke (especially those in need of post-intravenous or intra-arterial TPA therapy)
• Severe head or spine trauma
• Coma
• Encephalopathy
• Status epilepticus
• Severe or deteriorating demyelinating illness
• Life-threatening neurologic infections
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Neuromuscular disorders (myasthenic crisis)
• Severe autonomic instability
• Recent major surgical procedures (spine surgery, carotid artery surgery, angioplasty, endovascular procedures)

Attending physicians on the NCCU approve all admissions to the unit and, upon admission, assume primary care of the patient. Collaborative care is provided by specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, ENT and orthopaedic-spine care.

Other multidisciplinary services available include pharmacy services, physical, occupation and speech therapy, social work, case management services and dietary services.

Contact

Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU)
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
6th Floor - FSK Pavilion
4940 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410-550-7871