Lyndon Bayne Johnson Hospital has an Admission and Discharge Criteria-Intermediate Care Unit [IMU] policy which clearly states bipap patient may not stay longer than four hours. However, the patients do remain in the unit due to bed availability in the ICU. According to the policy chronic bipap patient may be transferred or admitted to the unit if hemodynamic stable who are responsive to fluids, chemotherapy and /or medications administrated by mouth and no vasoactives. Bipap patient require frequent nursing needs, and may experience worsening hypoxemia, with initiation of blood pressure agents.The policy does state when a patient is recused, and acute respiratory failure is imminent and may require intubation a higher level of care is required.
