What does “critical but stable” mean? [closed]

Solution 1:

You specify British English but the only other answer with a quote is from a US source. I was curious if it was materially different in the UK.

The UK newspaper article critical and serious condition: what hospitals mean when they report a patient's state indicates it means much the same here. (the bolded part is the direct answer to your question)

Sometimes, people will include a suggestion of whether someone’s condition is stable, improving or getting worse. A “Critical but stable” condition, for instance, indicates that someone is in a bad state but not likely to get worse in the short-term.

Others recommend against using that phrasing, however, since being in a critical condition implies that a patient vital signs are not stable.

Solution 2:

It seems contradictory on the surface, but it really does just combine the definitions you listed. So,the patient's condition is very serious or an extreme degree of injury, but not currently deteriorating or worsening.

Solution 3:

It will probably not be possible to get an authoritative answer to this question. The trouble is, although the phrase "critical but stable" is commonly used, authoritative sources suggest that a) it's illogical and b) it should not be used.

Here's what the American Hospital Association said in 2003 about patient conditions:

Condition

For the one-word condition, use the terms “undetermined,” “good,” “fair,” “serious” or “critical.” Definitions of patient conditions are listed below:

Undetermined - Patient is awaiting physician and/or assessment.

Good - Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.

Fair - Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.

Serious - Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.

Critical - Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.

AHA: Advisory: HIPAA Updated Guidelines for Releasing Information on the Condition of Patients. American Hospital Association.

By these standards, critical means "unstable," so "critical but stable" wouldn't seem to make sense.

The AHA guidelines continue:

Clinicians find the "critical but stable" term useful when discussing cases amongst themselves because it helps them differentiate patients who are expected to recover from those whose prognosis is worse. But a critical condition means that at least some vital signs are unstable, so this is inherently contradictory. The term "stable" should not be used as a condition. Furthermore, this term should not be used in combination with other conditions, which by definition, often indicate a patient is unstable.

So, the AHA acknowledges that "critical but stable" is often used to mean something like very bad, but may recover. Like you, the AHA finds this term misleading and suggests it not be used. But these are only guidelines, after all.