U.S. Markets for Critical Care Patient Management Products

Evolving into centers where only the sickest patients are admitted, acute care hospitals in the United States (U.S.) are assigning an increasing proportion of their beds to critical patients. Care of these gravely ill, high-risk, or unstable medical or surgical patients often requires myriad specialized products including those for drug/fluid delivery and infusion therapy, airway management and ventilation, point-of-care (POC) blood testing, temperature management, temporary cardiopulmonary support, and transfusion management. The provision of critical care, which relies on the expertise of specially trained healthcare personnel and the use of critical care patient management products makes critical care units the most expensive care sites in the U.S. healthcare system, accounting for 30% to 40% of a typical hospital’s total budget.