Actually one can be critical but fairly stable Someone with pneumonia on a ventilator is certainly critical but can be relatively stable and expected to improve. Someone else who has already had 2 cardiac arrests in the last hour and is hanging on by a thread is also critical - but in a whole different situation
Your kind reply describes intensive care terms, but not the original meaning and use of the word, “critical”.
I have heard of critical-with-no-change. Never critical-stable. Ridiculous.
If they are “expected to improve” they are down graded to stable, and no longer critical.
Somehow, I am not surprised. Language and standards have deteriorated along with everything else. This affects meaning. All things are relative. Thanks, mmd.