Critical Care Medicine

Three fundamental changes have been introduced in medical education, all of particular importance to critical care medicine: (1) clinical teaching and medical practice now emphasize evidence-based medicine, (2) patient safety aspects are increasingly stressed, and (3) use of simulation in medical training is spreading rapidly. Critical care rotation is designed so residents will achieve proficiency in the recognition and management of problems encountered in the intensive care unit. This proficiency includes, but is not limited to the management of: sepsis, acute and chronic cardiac disease, acute respiratory failure, acute renal failure, hemodynamic instability, overdoses and poisonings, acute neurologic insults, acute electrolyte and endocrine emergencies, and coagulation disorders. For less common problems, residents should acquire knowledge sufficient to formulate a differential diagnosis, initiate a management plan, and request appropriate consultations.