Preface

*ICU Management and Protocols* describes the management of acute and critically ill patients. It discusses important topics in intensive care practices for both adult and pediatric patients. Chapters address professionalism and teamwork in the intensive care setup, various modalities of renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients, the management of postoperative delirium and coagulopathies in pediatric patients, and resuscitation of trauma and mass casualty patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This book is a useful resource for intensive care physicians, emergency physicians, acute care and general surgeons, EMS staff, and acute and critical care nurses.

We are thankful to Ms. Ana Cink for her continuous help at all stages of the publication process. I am indebted and thankful to Dr. Firdous for her support and encouragement during the editing process. I am also grateful for the patience and cooperation of my daughters Dr. Amara and Dr. Jaza. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the participating authors for their valuable contributions.

> **Dr. Nissar Shaikh** Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar

**Theodoros Aslanidis** Saint Paul General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

**1**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

Care Unit

Professionalism, Teamwork

*Suzanne Crowe and Maeve McAllister*

and Regulation in the Intensive

In this chapter, we discuss the concepts of professionalism in relation to intensive care medicine. The intensive care management of patients represents the sharp edge of every speciality and the potential for miscommunication, conflict, psychological overload and burnout is large. The presence of a culture of trust between patients and staff, and between staff members is a major factor in patient outcome, staff recruitment, staff retention and motivation. As critical care morbidity and mortality rates improve, patient and staff expectations of an acceptable short-term and long-term outcome increase. To reach these expectations, healthcare professionals need to operate in high performing teams, with defined standards and objectives. We focus on key aspects of good professional behaviour, high-performance healthcare teams and the

regulatory aspects of care in the high technology, critical care environment.

**Keywords:** critical care, intensive care, professionalism, teamwork, regulation

delivered by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals.

interactions between staff and patients.

Critical care medicine offers many challenges for staff and patients. When admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients are critically ill and require life-saving intervention with the aim of disease treatment and maximising organ support and recovery. If the patient survives, there may be a prolonged period of rehabilitation. This level of medical intervention is usually coordinated by a specialist in critical care medicine and

The range of disciplines that now contribute to the outcome of the patient has grown and includes clinical psychology, speech and language therapy, bioengineering and clinical pharmacy. As care has become more complex, the need for experienced professionals has increased, with a worldwide shortage of intensive care staff. Recruitment, training and retention of valuable ICU staff are important. Understanding what makes team members satisfied with their job is vital in keeping good staff, reducing disruptive staff turnover and improved continuity of highquality care to patients. Emphasis on a healthy professional culture within the ICU can be helpful in encouraging personal and professional development, and positive
