What does it mean when someone is in Intensive Care Unit in hospital?

[Anonymous]

[abc3643]

It's not good.
Intensive... as in intense...
Intensive care means that the patient is in considerable danger of death which could require intervention at any moment. You don't want to be in the ICU ("eye-see-you"). NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is for newborn babies - usually "pre-mees" - babies born very prematurely (aka long before full term).

[Astarlessnightsky]

The patient is almost dead and needs constant medical attention to survive.

[In_Trance]

some context would help

[Asker]

Well my godmother is in I. C. U and I don't know could barely speak and I don't know why she is there but all I know is she has a lung disease not sure if its cancer. And she is very critical.

[Asker]

Just heard it from her husband and the doctor told him to go home for now and they will just contact him if something happens to her.

[In_Trance]

If they told him to go home, she's stable for now.