 A patient being managed in an intensive care unit | |
| Focus | Organ dysfunction, life support |
|---|---|
| Significant diseases | Respiratory failure, Organ failure, Multiorgan failure |
| Specialist | Intensive care physician Critical care physician Intensivist |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
Occupation type | Specialty |
Activity sectors | Medicine |
| Description | |
Education required |
|
Fields of employment | Hospitals, Clinics |
Related jobs | Anesthesiologist |
Intensive care medicine, usually called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening.[1] It includes providing life support, invasive monitoring techniques, resuscitation, and end-of-life care.[2] Doctors in this specialty are often called intensive care physicians, critical care physicians, or intensivists.
Intensive care relies on multidisciplinary teams composed of many different health professionals. Such teams often include doctors, nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists, among others.[3] They usually work together in intensive care units (ICUs) within a hospital.[1]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:6was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "About Intensive Care | the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine". Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ "Critical Care Medicine Specialty Description". American Medical Association. Retrieved 24 October 2020.