Critical Care
Critical care is a branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and management of serious, life-threatening conditions, which often require intensive organ support or invasive monitoring. Research papers on critical care units or services can be custom written for medical professionals or for nursing students that need a paper written on an aspect of medical treatment.
Critical care works with individuals who may have complications from surgery, accidents, infections, or respiratory problems. Critical care generally takes place in:
- ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
- Trauma center
Critical Care Tools
Critical care utilizes specialized tools, including:
- IV tubes
- Feeding tubes
- Catheters
- Breathing machines
Critical care is designed to support patients with such problems as:
- Multiple organ failure
- Renal failure
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Other conditions that require constant monitoring
Intensive care is generally restricted to those patients who appear to have a decent chance of survival. One the main requisites for admission to an ICU are the fact that the condition can be overcome. This is not to say that every patient receiving critical care will survive. Some will, due to the extent of their illness or injury, die despite the application of critical care.
In the United States, certification as a critical care doctor requires an additional training fellowship beyond primary residence. The American Society of Critical Care Medicine, founded in 1970, is a professional society for numerous members of the critical care team, including doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists.