Hospital CMQ’s Intensive Care Unit in Puerto Vallarta

Hospital CMQ's Intensive Care Unit in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit Our Hospitals: CMQ Premiere and CMQ Riviera Nayarit have the best Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Puerto Vallarta. We provide state-of-the-art care and vital support for critically ill patients across the region. We are experts in critical care!

With two intensive care wards serving Banderas Bay, our CMQ Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit provides adequate medical coverage in convenient, nearby locations.

Our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) specializes in the care of critically ill patients with severe neurological, cardiac, and respiratory conditions. With five fully equipped, state-of-the-art ICU rooms at each location, our team of intensive care specialists and nurses, focuses on treating the most critical severe conditions.

Common critical conditions treated at Hospital CMQ’s Intensive Care Unit in Puerto Vallarta

  • Acute myocardial infarction
  • Severe sepsis
  • Respiratory infections requiring mechanical ventilation and support
  • Intracranial hemorrhage
  • Cardiac and cardiovascular surgery
  • Severe pneumonia
  • Cerebral infarction
  • Septicemia
  • Acute renal failure

Our Locations – Hospital CMQ’s Intensive Care Unit in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

With two strategically located ICU wards, our health system has the best Intensive Care Unit ICU in Puerto Vallarta, being the only hospital network that is truly able to provide regional critical care coverage:

Hospital CMQ has the Best ICU Intensive Care Unit in Puerto Vallarta

Importance of a 1:1 nurse to patient ratio in the Intensive Care Unit

There are numerous studies that show that maintaining an optimal nurse to patient ratio is critical to improve quality of care and patient outcomes. In addition, these studies reveal a correlation between higher levels of experienced RN staffing and lower rates of adverse patient outcomes.

According to the American Nurse Association, appropriate nurse staffing helps achieve:

  • A reduction in:
    • Medical and medication errors
    • Patient mortality
    • Preventable events such as pressure ulcers, patient falls, central line infections, urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia and other complications
    • Patient length of stay
    • Hospital readmissions
  • And clinical improvements in patient care

In order to deliver the highest standards of quality patient care, our ICU intensive care units at Hospital CMQ Premiere and Hospital CMQ Riviera Nayarit, maintain the optimal mix and number of nursing staff: a 1:1 nurse to patient ratio. Regarding this ratio, it is important to note that California and Massachusetts are the only states in the US that stipulate both in law and regulation, a required minimum nurse to patient ratio that should be maintained at all times in intensive care units pertaining to these states. Specifically, these laws require a 1:1 or 1:2 nurse to patient ratio in ICU, depending on the medical condition and stability of the patient.

Consequently, the ICU intensive care units at Hospital CMQ maintain the optimal and highest nurse to patient ratio established under current US law. Hospital CMQ has the Best ICU in Puerto Vallarta, with the highest nurse to patient ratio and a firm commitment to patient-centered care.

Learn more about critical care at an Intensive Care Unit; visit the Society of Critical Care Medicine website.

Simply the Best Intensive Care Unit ICU in Puerto Vallarta!

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – Frequently Asked Questions

ICU, also known as intensive care unit, critical care or intensive care, is a specialized unit in the hospital where critically ill or injured patients are evaluated, monitored, treated and cared for by highly trained physicians and medical personnel. Typically, an ICU team includes intensive care specialists, pharmacists, nurses, doctors, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, dietitians and social workers. According to the Society of Critical Care Medicine, every year more than 5.7 million patients are admitted to intensive care units in the United States (U.S.) for treatment and management of life-threatening medical conditions, advanced and invasive monitoring, breathing and circulation support, and advanced management of critical injuries. In case of a severe illness or emergency, Hospital CMQ has the Best ICU in Puerto Vallarta.

Treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is usually needed when a patient becomes seriously ill or injured. In such cases, patients might be admitted to the ICU if they require advanced/continuous monitoring of vital signs, critical care and/or mechanical ventilation breathing assistance. The most common reasons why admission to the ICU might be required are:

  • Major surgery: after a surgical complication, or as part of your post-surgical recovery
  • Major accident: after severe car accidents, burns, falls or head injuries
  • Severe conditions: heart attack, stroke, acute respiratory failure, chronic respiratory failure, renal failure, traumatic brain injuries, brain aneurysm, trauma due to motor vehicle accidents.
  • Serious infections: Pneumonia, sepsis, bacteremia, Systemic inflammatory response syndrome SIRS, severe sepsis, septic shock.

Most patients who are admitted to the ICU have problems with one or several organs and body systems.

There are a number of circumstances in which a patients have to be admitted to the ICU; the most common reasons are the following:

  • Breathing and lung problems- patients that have difficulty breathing or are unable to breath on their own, who might need ventilator assistance and support
  • Cardiovascular problems- patients that have unusually low or unusually high blood pressure, or heart problems such as an unstable heart rhythm, heart attack or angina
  • Chemical imbalance- patients who have an imbalance in their bloodstream, of their mineral, salt or sugar levels
  • Serious Infections- patients who have severe pneumonia or bacteremia (bloodstream infection)
  • Advanced and continuous monitoring- a patient might need advanced and continuous monitoring after a severe head trauma, after a major surgery or an unforeseen surgical complication
  • Shock- this condition occurs when the body organs of a patient do not get enough blood pressure and oxygen. The most common reason for shock are: Septic shock, Cardiogenic shock, Hypovolemic shock and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

An ICU can often be a stressful and daunting place, due to patient conditions, the ward´s environment and equipment. Therefore, it is helpful and important to know its rules and guidelines, and what to expect:

  • Hygiene rules- Most infections in an ICU are carried and spread by people who enter the ward. Consequently, in order to prevent or reduce the risk of spreading infections, it is imperative that all physician, medical staff and visitors follow and comply with the ICU hygiene rules and guidelines:
    • Hand hygiene: always disinfect your hands with an alcohol based solution, or wash your hands with antibacterial soap and water, before entering the ICU, before and after touching a patient, after being in contact with body fluids, and after touching the patient´s surroundings. Learn more about the “5 Moments of Hand Hygiene”…
    • Personal protective equipment: In order to protect yourself, and the patients in the ICU, always wear personal protective equipment when entering the ward.
      • Always wear a clean gown, a mouth mask/face mask and a hair cap
    • Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette: cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing with a tissue or a mask; after its use, dispose of the soiled tissue or mask. After being in contact with respiratory secretions, always wash your hands with antibacterial soap and water.
  • Visiting hours: Our ICU has established visiting hours in which you may come by and see your friend or family member. However, there may be some days and special circumstances under which you might not be able to visit a patient. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check in advance with the intensive care specialist or the ICU nurse. The normal visiting hours in the ICU are from 11:00am to 12:00pm, and from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.
  • Number of Visitors: In order to maintain a quiet and peaceful environment, our ICU can only accept one visitor per patient at a time. In addition, please make sure that you stay inside the patient’s ICU room during your visit.
  • Doctors rounds and visits: Doctor’s rounds normally occur during early morning, early afternoon and late evening. Visitors are usually not allowed during doctor’s rounds.
  • Visitors with infectious conditions: Visitors with colds, other respiratory and/or potentially infectious conditions are not allowed to visit the ICU.

By following these guidelines, you will help us to maintain the highest quality standards in our critical care wards and will help us to remain as the best ICU  in Puerto Vallarta.

First and foremost, you can expect that patients in the ICU at Hospital CMQ will receive the best and most modern care available, while being treated by an intensive care specialist, as well as physicians with expertise in different specialties such as cardiology, neurosurgery, internal medicine, cardiovascular surgery and nephrology. In addition, you can expect daily communication with the ICU staff, who will keep you well-informed of the patient’s condition and any changes that might have occurred, as well as procedures that would have to be performed.You can also expect to meet and speak with the treating physician on a daily basis, in order to discuss and understand the plan of care, and ask any questions that you may have regarding the patient’s health condition. Finally, you should have the confidence and assurance that your family member is receiving award-winning critical care services, in the Best ICU Intensive Care Unit in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

Informed consent is an ethical and legal principle that emphasizes and protects “an individual’s fundamental right to decide what is being done with his or her body”. In healthcare practice, informed consent is the process through which a physician obtains permission from a patient (or a surrogate decision maker) to perform a medical or surgical procedure, and to follow a proposed treatment plan. Consequently, during this process, the physician talks to the patient or its surrogate decision maker, about the proposed medical treatment plan, it’s possible benefits, risks and consequences, as well as alternative treatment options.

The basic elements that should be addressed by your physician while talking about informed consent are the following:

  • The diagnosis, if it is known
  • The proposed procedure or treatment plan, its purpose and objectives
  • The benefits and risks of the proposed procedure or treatment plan
  • Possible treatment alternatives
  • The benefits and risks of the treatment alternatives
  • The benefits and risks of not receiving treatment

An Advanced Directive, also called a “living will”, is a document written in advance of a grave illness, in which the patient states its wishes about the medical care that may be needed. Consequently, an Advanced Directive is an important document, because:

  • It allows patients to express their wishes in writing regarding critical care and end-of-life care, before they become unable to make treatment decisions on their own.
  • It allows patients to express beforehand, which medical treatments and procedures they want, and which medical treatment and procedure they don’t want, if need arises.
  • It allows patients to name a person or “surrogate agent”, who can decide on their behalf about medical treatment options and procedures, if they are unable to speak or decide for themselves.

Patients who are improving and moving towards recovery, should be transferred out or discharged from the ICU, as the ICU should only provide treatment to critically ill or injured patients. However, it is always wise to speak to the intensive care specialist on a case by case basis, regarding a patient’s discharge plan.