Welcome
On behalf of the entire SICU staff, welcome to the Surgical and Burn/Trauma ICU (4400 ICU).
The intensive care unit is an excellent place to learn and hone your skills as a physician…where the half-life of information is short, but the lessons learned and the results of care long! Of course, you will be expected to learn the “rules of the road,” but once you do, it will be a great journey! We look forward to taking you on the fulfilling ride we call critical care medicine.
Your rotation through the SICU will be as rewarding as it is demanding.We attempt to deliver high quality evidence-based care to the hospital’s most critically ill patients. This environment provides the ideal opportunity for you to improve your knowledge and skills in managing critically ill surgical patients.
This handbook is your resource for details of the specific protocols and general critical care principles during your rotation. Though it is NOT a comprehensive reference on critical care medicine, there are many references and concepts addressed which will be encountered regularly in the ICU. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Justin Knittel (knittelj@wustl.edu) at any point.