Guidelines on admission and discharge for adult intermediate care units

OBJECTIVE: To present guidelines for writing admission and discharge policies for adult intermediate care units. DATA SOURCES: Opinion of practitioners with experience and expertise in managing critical and intermediate care units. DATA SYNTHESIS: Consensus was reached regarding the characteristics of patients best suited for management in an intermediate care unit, as supported by a literature review. CONCLUSION: Criteria were developed that define patients who are optimal candidates for management in an intermediate care unit.