The ICU Team
ICU Doctors (Intensivists)
ICU doctors have advanced training and experience in diagnosing and treating critical illness and injury. Most large hospitals have ICU doctors on-site to respond to emergencies immediately.
These doctors help to coordinate care and are particularly skilled in treatment of critical health problems such as shock (severe heart and circulatory failure), respiratory failure (severe breathing problems), hemorrhage (severe bleeding problems), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and many others. They are also highly skilled in procedures commonly performed in the ICU setting.
The ICU doctor is an expert in use of high technology medical equipment such as breathing machines, heart monitoring equipment and many others.
These doctors come from several different backgrounds including internal medicine, surgery, anesthesiology and pediatrics. Many of them have earned special certification in the field of critical care.
Additional Information
For more information about ICU Doctors (Intensivists) see the following site(s):
Society of Critical Care MedicineSociety of Critical Care Medicine provides consumer information including critical care: questions, decisions, and a glossary of term.
American College of Chest Physicians
American College of Chest Physicians provides abstracts of articles from industry journals.
American Thoracic Society
American Thoracic Society deals with quality of life issues, treatment and care options, and provides information on specific diseases.
American Association of Critical Care Nurses
Building on decades of clinical excellence, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) provides and inspires leadership to establish work and care environments that are respectful, healing and humane. The key to AACN's success is through its members. Therefore, AACN is committed to providing the highest quality resources to maximize nurses' contribution to caring and improving the healthcare of critically ill patients and their families.