Criteria adopted by the components of Task Force in order to define a respiratory intermediate care unit
| Criteria for admission | Type of intervention and equipment | Staffing |
| Single organ failure (respiratory failure) | Noninvasive mechanical ventilation | A minimum of one nurse to four patients (throughout 24 h) |
| Acute respiratory failure requiring monitoring (but not necessarily mechanical ventilation) | Availability of life support ventilators Conventional mechanical ventilation by an artificial airway should be provided when necessary and the patient should be transferred to the ICU | Doctor immediately available 24 h·day−1 with the same profile as the senior doctor |
| Tracheostomy ventilated patients coming from ICU (post-acute or weaning) | Minimum monitoring required (Oximetry, ECG, noninvasive blood pressure, respiratory rate) for each bed | Unit under supervision of at least one senior doctor (with training in pneumology and in noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation) |
| Availability of respiratory physiotherapist |
ICU: intensive care unit
ECG: electrocardiogram