... surgery varies from 10 to 40 % in the post- operative period [1 ... used preopera- tively,
and duration and type of postoperative rhythm monitoring frequently vary ...
www.springerlink.com/index/J201L35K4U4LAQ73.pdf

Historically, intensive care units were organized to serve specific purposes such as rhythm monitoring, the care of post operative patients, airway maintenance ...
www.saintgabrielgeneralhospital.com/ intensive_care_unit.htm

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Note added at 23 mins (2004-03-25 09:57:17 GMT)
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Unfortunately, the links won\'t work. I found the links through Google.

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Note added at 25 mins (2004-03-25 09:59:22 GMT)
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To help in Rhythm monitoring, the care of post operative patients,airway maintenance and mechanical ventilation for patients with reversible Neurological disease were the specific purposes of organising intensive care units. The outcome from establishing these specialized units were such that this lead to the birth of large number of such units in hospitals. Over the past two decades,the availability of physical resources,nursing staff,and related specialized procedures, as well as patients have resulted in an expansion of the original indications for admission to categories of patients for whom the achievable benefits are less clear.
http://www.apollocolombo.com/Department/DeptView.asp?DepId=2...