Surgical Critical Care

These physicians evaluate patients and develop care plans that may involve nonoperative techniques or surgical procedures.

A typical surgical critical care team consists of groups of subspecialists who have supplemental education in the management of basic science, clinical research, leadership, operative management, and trauma systems. A typical team is comprised of:

• Case managers
• Doctors/surgeons
• Nurses and nurse practitioners
• Nutritionists
• Pharmacists
• Physician assistants
• Physical and occupational therapists
• Respiratory therapists
• Social workers 

Surgical critical care physicians treat a myriad of conditions. Examples include:

• Cardiovascular: cardiac ischemia, cardiomyopathy, ECMO, myocardial infarction (heart attack), and shock
• Endocrine: adrenal disorders, blood sugar, diabetes, pituitary disorders, and thyroid
• Gastrointestinal: acute liver failure, biliary obstruction, bowel obstruction, gastric ulcer, hernia, ischemic bowel, malnutrition, pancreatitis, and perforated bowel
• Infectious diseases: bloodstream infections, infected hardware, necrotizing infections, sepsis, septic shock, urinary tract infections
• Hematological: anemia, bleeding and clotting disorders, cancer, immunosuppression, low platelet counts, and organ transplant
• Neurological: agitation, anorexic brain, brain injury, delirium, seizures, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury
• Pulmonary: acute lung injury, Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), collapsed lung, failure to wean from ventilator, lung infection, pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, ventilator dependence, and tracheostomy
• Renal: acute kidney injury, bedside dialysis, electrolyte abnormalities, fluid/water retention, and renal failure