In the SICU, residents function as members of the critical care medicine team, led by anesthesiology and surgery faculty with special qualifications in Critical Care Medicine. Other members of the team include surgical residents, medical students and fellows. Anesthesiology residents admit patients to the SICU and closely manage their daily care. They gain knowledge and experience in hemodynamic monitoring, respiratory failure, ventilatory support, cardiovascular support, renal replacement therapies, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, management of arrhythmias, treatment of infectious disease, and nutritional support.
Residents also become experienced in the use of vasoactive infusions.
Patients in the SICU include post-operative patients from general surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedics, plastic and reconstructive surgery, gynecology, obstetrics, genitourinary and transplant surgery. In addition, surgical patients with predominately medical problems such as myocardial infarction, respiratory failure, renal failure or sepsis are often admitted to the SICU, giving residents a broad experience in the daily management of critically-ill patients.