The American Heart Association, in collaboration with several other cardiology-related organizations, sponsored a writing group to develop a roadmap for responding to the "critical care crisis" in cardiac intensive care units, according to a report in Circulation.
The report addresses several recent changes contributing to this "critical care crisis" in cardiac ICUs, such as the increasing patient demand for these services as the population ages, and the growing complexity of cases due to an increase number of comorbid conditions in patients.
According to the writing group, data suggest the common open model for cardiac ICUs — in which patients are managed by their individual physicians without regular assessment by an intensivist — does not maximize patient outcomes. Instead, the writing group suggests a closed cardiac ICU, in which an ICU-based physician evaluates all admissions and takes primary responsibility for the patient's care.
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The report addresses several recent changes contributing to this "critical care crisis" in cardiac ICUs, such as the increasing patient demand for these services as the population ages, and the growing complexity of cases due to an increase number of comorbid conditions in patients.
According to the writing group, data suggest the common open model for cardiac ICUs — in which patients are managed by their individual physicians without regular assessment by an intensivist — does not maximize patient outcomes. Instead, the writing group suggests a closed cardiac ICU, in which an ICU-based physician evaluates all admissions and takes primary responsibility for the patient's care.
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