More than 5 million patients are admitted to ICUs in the U.S. annually. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only increased these numbers. Almost all of us will be touched by the ICU at some point, directly or indirectly. When your loved one is in the ICU, it’s not only possible to be an advocate for your loved one, it’s essential. However, for almost everyone, the ICU is an alien and intimidating world, full of confusing equipment and terminology. Family members are in desperate need of explanations that busy nurses and doctors may not always have time to give. Lara Goitein MD, a Harvard trained physician specializing in intensive care and lung medicine, shares with us some valuable information to help us navigate this uncharted territory. Dt. Goitein is an editorial board member and frequent writer for the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, and also writes in the lay press, including the New York Review of Books.