Why is an abnormal heart rhythm treated in the ICU?

There are many different types and causes of abnormal heart rhythms. Some are life threatening and others are less serious but they all require further assessment and evaluation. The reason that many of them need to be treated in the ICU is because the patient has to be connected to a cardiac monitor and the monitor needs to be analyzed on a continual basis to detect any changes. Furthermore, the patient needs to be assessed more frequently by nurses who have critical care training. The patient will most likely receive IV medication or another type of intervention to treat the abnormal rhythm and this also requires careful monitoring and continuous evaluation by critical care nurses and physicians.