List of Critical Illnesses Covered under Insurance Policy

All About Critical Illness List : Critical Illness Meaning and Diagnosis

Health is not valued till sickness comes. This proverb says that we generally don’t consider our well-being until we experience illness. Illness or critical illness comes all of a sudden, so preventing them will help you. Let’s understand the critical illness meaning and the list of critical illnesses here.

What is Critical Illness?

Critical illness is a serious and potentially life-threatening health condition that needs extensive treatment and a prolonged recovery time period. These illnesses often have an important impact on a person's life, both physically and financially. Examples of critical illnesses are cancer, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and paralysis.    

List of Critical Illnesses

There are few critical illnesses that can be covered as per your opted health insurance policy. Here is the list of critical illnesses.

1. Kidney Failure : Kidney failure, also called renal failure, refers to a condition in which the kidneys lose their capability to filter enough waste products from the human blood.
2. Stroke : A stroke is a condition that happens when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, thus resulting in the brain cells dying because of lack of oxygen and nutrients.
3. Coma : A coma refers to a state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person is unresponsive to their environment and cannot be awakened. This refers to a medical emergency that needs immediate attention because of potential underlying causes such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or drug overdose.
4. Blindness : Blindness refers to a condition in which a person is not able to see, either partially or completely. This can range from low vision, in which a little sight remains, to total blindness, in which there is no perception of light.  
5. Cancer : Cancer refers to a group of diseases that is characterised by abnormal cell growth that can spread to other parts of the body. It's a leading cause of death worldwide, with different types affecting different parts of the body. 
6. Organ failure : Organ failure happens when an organ in the body—like the heart, liver, kidneys, or lungs—stops functioning properly enough to support life.It can occur suddenly (acute) or gradually over time (chronic), and is often the result of injury, disease, or a lack of oxygen or blood flow.
7. Multiple Sclerosis : Multiple sclerosis (MS) refers to a chronic or often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, particularly the brain and spinal cord. 
8. Paralysis : Paralysis refers to the loss of muscle function in part or all of the body, leading to the inability to move. This can be temporary or permanent and can affect any part of the body.  
9. Alzheimer's Disease : Alzheimer's disease refers to a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that basically affects memory and cognitive function. This is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-70% of cases.
10. Heart Attack : A heart attack refers to a serious medical emergency where the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, generally by a blood clot. A heart attack is a medical emergency.  
11. Parkinson's Disease : Parkinson's disease refers to a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement but also involves non-motor symptoms. It comes from the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain that generate dopamine, a neurotransmitter which is important for movement coordination.
12. Pulmonary hypertension : Pulmonary hypertension refers to a condition in which there's high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. This forces the heart to function harder to pump blood to the lungs, potentially resulting in heart failure.
13. Brain Tumour : A brain tumour refers to an abnormal mass of tissue in the brain in which cells grow and multiply uncontrollably. Brain tumours can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).   
14. Third-degree burns : A third-degree burn involves all of the layers of skin and, in some cases, the fat and muscle tissue under the skin. In a third-degree burn, also known as a full-thickness burn, the burnt areas might be black, brown or white. The skin might appear leathery. Third-degree burns can damage nerves, surrounding areas experience severe pain.
15. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease : Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. It includes conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, in which the airways and air sacs in the lungs become damaged and inflamed, restricting airflow.
16. Motor neuron disease : Motor neuron diseases or motor neurone diseases refer to a group of rare neurodegenerative disorders that particularly affect motor neurons. The motor neurons are the cells which control voluntary muscles of the body. Motor neurone disease (MND) results in the muscle weakness that gets worse over a few months or years.  
17. Permanent or total deafness : Permanent or total deafness, also called anacusis, is a complete or near-complete inability to hear, in which the individual can’t get the sounds even with amplification.
18. Aplastic anemia: Aplastic anemia is a serious but rare medical condition where the bone marrow fails to do enough production of new blood cells, ultimately causing fatigue, increased susceptibility to infections, and bleeding. Its causes can be genetic, autoimmune, or due to the exposure of certain toxic substances, medications, or viruses.
19. Bacterial meningitis: Bacterial meningitis is consequential, potentially deadly meninges infection, the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord, caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream or directly infecting the meninges. An individual can experience symptoms including stiff neck, headache, fever and light sensitivity, but can also manifest as vomiting, rashes lethargy particularly in infants.
20. Encephalitis: Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain, usually caused by a viral infection, or rarely by an autoimmune response. Potential symptoms can include headache, confusion, seizures, fever, and stiff neck.
21. Muscular Dystrophy: Muscular Dystrophy (MD) refers to a group of genetic disorders that cause progressive muscle weakness and breakdown. With more than 30 different types, MDs differ in the onset age, affected muscles, severity and progression rate. It is caused by genetic mutations that impact proteins essential for muscle functionality.
22. Systemic lupus erythematosus: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) also known as lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, leading inflammation in body systems including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. Symptoms can differ from person to person and can range from mild to severe, with key signs including fatigue, joint pain, fever and a butterfly-shaped rash on the face while the exact cause is not fully known.
23. Major head trauma: Major head trauma or Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterised by an injury to the brain caused by external force, requiring immediate medical intervention. A major symptom is bleeding or clear fluid draining from the nose or ears. A person may experience loss of consciousness, severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, frequent vomiting and numbness or weakness in the body.
24. Liver Cirrhosis: Liver Cirrhosis is a permanent damage of the liver because of chronic injury, which obstructs its ability to function normally and ultimately result in liver failure. Common symptoms can include jaundice, swelling, fatigue. Although damage is irreversible, treatment can manage symptoms. It can be caused by chronic hepatitis (such as hepatitis B or C), prolonged, harmful consumption of alcohol or due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
25. Cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathy is a disease that badly impacts heart muscle, causing it to become enlarged, rigid, thickened or weekend, resulting in difficulty for the heart to pump blood effectively throughout the body.
26. Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis: Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) indulges significant, debilitating joint pain, stiffness and inflammation that can lead to the destruction of bone and cartilage along with deformity and loss of function. It is a systemic autoimmune disease that can also impact other parts of the body including lungs, heart, eyes and skin.
27. Terminal Illness: A terminal illness is an advanced and incurable medical condition that is expected to result in an individual’s death, with treatment shifting from curing disease to managing symptoms and enhancing patient’s comfort.
28. Chronic Lung Disease: Chronic lung disease involves a range of long-lasting respiratory conditions, including COPD, asthma, that result in breathing problems by obstructing the airways or lung tissue. Commonly caused by smoking, air pollution and occupational exposures. Although not curable, symptoms can be managed by medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy and lifestyle changes.
29. Hepatitis (Fulminant Viral Hepatitis): Hepatitis (Fulminant Viral Hepatitis) is a life-threatening, rare medical condition where the liver fails rapidly due to sudden and severe viral infection. It is indicated by extensive liver cell death and a sharp decline in liver functionality, resulting in hepatic encephalopathy or brain dysfunction and acute liver failure.
30. Pneumonectomy: A pneumonectomy is a major surgery, associated with entire lung removal, typically to treat severe lung cancer, mesothelioma, or a severely damaged lung from other conditions. It is a complicated procedure that requires the patient to have sufficient lung function in the remaining lung to sustain life.
31. Severe Crohn's Disease: Severe Crohn's Disease involves severe symptoms which may involve scary complications like fistulas or abscesses, intestinal blockages, requiring intense hospital care and potentially surgery.
32. Open Heart Replacement or Repair of Heart Valves: It is a surgical procedure to correct a malfunctioning heart valve, involving either repairing the original valve by patching holes, separating fused leaflets, or reinforcing the surroundings ring, or replacing it completely with a new artificial valve.
33. Loss of Speech: Loss of speech can be caused by various neurological issues like aphasia (language  disorder from brain damage) or dysarthria (difficulty controlling speech muscles), often from stroke, head injuries, or brain tumors. 
34. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Lupus Nephritis: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Lupus Nephritis is a severe form of lupus an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks your body’s own tissues and organs, causing damage to the kidneys.
35. Apallic Syndrome: Apallic syndrome, now often called  unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) is a state of wakefulness without awareness, where patient’s cerebral cortex is severely damaged but brainstem function is preserved.
36. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD): Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a rare, fatal, neurodegenerative prion disease that causes rapid dementia, coordination problems, and other neurological symptoms.
37. Motor Neuron Disease with Permanent Symptoms: Motor neuron disease (MND) causes permanent motor neuron degeneration causing severing muscle weakness, muscle wasting, difficulty with speech and swallowing, breathing difficulty, and fatigue, which can increase to paralysis and disability.

Why are critical illnesses very serious?

Critical illnesses are considered serious due to their potential to cause significant health complications, require intensive medical treatment, and may lead to long-term disability or even death. They often involve organ dysfunction and a high risk of imminent death without treatment and can be debilitating, requiring extensive care and potentially disrupting everyday life.

Treatments for Critical Illnesses

Treatments for critical illnesses concentrate on supporting functions of organs and managing risks. This generally involves a combination of medical interventions, like medications, mechanical support, and surgical processes, suitable for the specific condition and the patient's overall health status.  In general, some of the treatments carried out for the critical illnesses are:

• Mechanical Ventilation : For respiratory failure, ventilators offer breathing support by pushing air into the lungs.
• Medications : Different medications help manage specific conditions, like antibiotics for infections, blood thinners for blood clots, and medications to enhance organ function.
• Haemodynamic Monitoring and Support : Regular monitoring of signs and interventions helps regulate blood pressure and circulation.
• Nutritional Support : Intravenous nutrition or feeding tubes offer necessary nutrients when patients are unable to eat on their own.
• Wound Care : Specialised wound care is needed for dealing with the injuries, surgical sites, or pressure ulcers.
• Infection Control : Several measures that help prevent and manage infections, like strict hygiene protocols and antimicrobial therapies, are necessary.
• Pain Management : Pain relief is very crucial for patient comfort and recovery.
• Rehabilitation : Physical and occupational therapy help patients get their strength and function again.
• Organ Support and Transplantation : During the time of organ failure, treatments such as dialysis for kidney failure or organ transplantation might be needed.
• Psychological Support : Addressing the psychological impact of critical illness is important for both patients and their families.
• CABG : CABG, or Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, refers to a surgical procedure that helps treat coronary artery disease, in which narrowed or blocked arteries are bypassed with the help of the healthy blood vessels from elsewhere in the human body. This enhances blood flow to the heart muscle, thus managing symptoms such as chest pain (angina) and lowering the risk of heart attack.
• Aortic Surgery : Aortic surgery involves a wide range of procedures that help treat diseases of the aorta (which is the body's largest artery). This also includes repairing or replacing damaged sections of the aorta, often because of aneurysms (weakening and bulging) or dissections (tears in the artery wall).
• Heart Valve Surgery : Heart valve surgery refers to a procedure that helps repair or replace a heart valve that is not functioning correctly because of disease or damage. This can involve either repairing the existing valve or replacing it with an artificial valve. 

What are the Important Considerations for the Critical Illness Treatment?

There are some considerations in the critical illness treatments. Here are the considerations for the critical illnesses treatment.

1. Early Intervention : Treatment and management on time in a critical care unit are enhancing better outcomes.
2. Individualised Care : Treatment plans are designed for the individual patient's particular needs and medical history.
3. Multidisciplinary Approach : Effective management of critical illnesses often needs a team of healthcare professionals, like physicians, respiratory therapists, nurses, and others.
4. Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustment : Patients in critical care need constant monitoring and adjustments to their treatment plan as their condition evolves.  

What are the Different Diagnostic Tests that are Used for Diagnosing Critical Illnesses?

There are many diagnostic tests that are used for diagnosing critical illnesses. Here are the tests that help in the critical illness detection.

1) Laboratory Tests

• Blood tests : These help assess different parameters such as complete blood count (CBC), electrolytes, cardiac markers, glucose levels, and coagulation studies.
• Urine tests : Urine analysis is used to find out the infections or kidney problems.
• Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis : This Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis test helps measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which is important for assessing respiratory function.
• Microbiology Cultures : Samples such as blood, urine, or sputum might be cultured to find out the infectious agents.
• Biomarker analysis : Particular biomarkers can be measured which help assess organ function or disease activity (e.g., troponin for heart damage).

2) Imaging Tests

• X-rays : This test helps offer images of bones and a few soft tissues, useful for assessing fractures, lung conditions, and other problems.
• Computed Tomography (CT) Scans : These scans provide detailed cross-sectional images of the body that help visualise organs, blood vessels, and soft tissues.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) : This procedure uses magnetic fields and radio waves to generate detailed images of soft tissues, which is useful for assessing brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal injuries.
• Ultrasound : This process uses sound waves to create images of internal organs and blood vessels, which helps assess abdominal organs, the heart, and blood flow.
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scans : (PET) Scans help visualise metabolic activity in the body, thus helping staging/metastasis detection for cancer and other diseases.  

3) Other Diagnostic Procedures

• Biopsy : This procedure involves taking a tissue sample for microscopic examination; thus, it helps for diagnosing various conditions, like cancer.
• Endoscopy : Endoscopy uses a flexible tube with a camera to see the internal organs, such as the oesophagus, stomach, or colon.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) : The electrocardiogram process records the electrical activity of the heart, thus helping to diagnose heart issues.
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) : Electroencephalogram (EEG) records brain activity, thus helping diagnose seizures and other neurological conditions.
• Viscoelastic methods : Viscoelastic methods help rapidly assess blood clotting and help guide transfusion methods in critically ill patients.
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound : This method helps in the faster assessment of different conditions at the bedside.

Critical Illness Prevention

Some prevention methods may help an individual from critical illness. Here are some of the general tips to prevent critical illness.

1. Quit Smoking : Stopping smoking (or never starting) will help reduce the risk of serious health issues, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and lung disease, as well as premature death – which is applicable for long-time smokers.
2. Eat Healthily : Eating healthy food helps in the prevention, delaying, and managing of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. A balanced and healthy food pattern will contain a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. This will limit added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium.
3. Get Regular Physical Activity : Doing regular physical activity can help in the prevention, delaying, or managing of chronic diseases. So, have a target to do moderate-intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking or gardening) for a minimum of 150 minutes a week, with muscle-strengthening activities 2 days a week.
4. Limit Alcohol : The usage of alcohol over time and excessive drinking can result in high blood pressure, different cancers, heart disease, stroke, and liver disease. By not drinking too much, you can reduce these health risks.
5. Get Screened : To prevent chronic diseases or catch them early, have regular doctor and dentist visits for preventive services. You can have cancer screening tests and prediabetes and diabetes testing.
6. Take Care of Your Teeth: Oral diseases—which range from cavities and gum disease to oral cancer—cause pain and disability for millions of Americans. To help prevent these problems, drink fluoridated water, brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, and floss daily. Visit your dentist at least yearly once, even if you have no natural teeth or have dentures.
7. Get Enough Sleep: Insufficient sleep has been connected to the development and poor management of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and depression. Adults must get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every day.
8. Know Your Family History: If you have a family history of a chronic disease, like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or osteoporosis, you may be more likely to develop that disease yourself. Share your family health history with your doctor, who can help you take steps to prevent these health conditions or catch them early.

What are the Factors that Influence Critical Illness Recovery Time?

Critical illness recovery is a long process, often extending from weeks to years after hospital discharge. While a few individuals might experience a quick return to baseline function, while others more often face ongoing physical, psychological, and social challenges that can last for months or even years. Here are the factors that influence Recovery Time :

1. Severity of illness: The initial severity of the critical illness and the time spent in the intensive care unit (ICU) are important factors.   
2. Individual health status: Pre-existing health conditions and overall physical and mental health before critical illness can influence recovery speed and outcomes.
3. Age: Elder adults might experience slower and less complete functional recovery after critical illness, as per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
4. Type of Critical Illness: Certain illnesses might have particular long-term effects that affect recovery.
5. Psychological Factors: Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are usually general after critical illness and can affect recovery.