Intensive Care Medicine or critical care medicine is concerned with providing greater than ordinary medical care and observation to people in a critical or unstable condition.
People requiring intensive care include those recovering after major surgery, with severe head trauma, life-threatening acute illness, respiratory insufficiency, coma, haemodynamic insufficiency, severe fluid imbalance or with the failure of one or more of the major organ systems (life-critical systems or others).
It is generally the most expensive, high technology and resource intensive area of medical care. In the United States estimates of the 2000 expenditure for critical care medicine ranged from US$15-55 billion accounting for about 0.5% of GDP and about 13% of national health care expenditure (Halpern, 2004).
More on [ Intensive care medicine ]

American Association of Critical Care Nurses - AACN was founded in 1969 and has grown to become one of the largest specialty nursing organizations with over 65,000 members around the world.
Australian College of Critical Care Nurses - Offers membership information, application, activities and events, and selected articles from the current journal.
Meta Description: [ Australian College of Critical Care Nurses represents over 2,500 critical care nurses from emergency, coronary care, high dependency, cardiothoracic & general intensive care units, academic & educational settings, ACCCN, rural critical ]
Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses - Contains chapter links, selected position statements, published and unpublished research abstracts and a chatter area.
European Federation of Critical Care Nursing Associations - Includes constitution, information about member associations, calendar of meetings and conferences, minutes of meetings, and working groups.
Northeast Pediatric Cardiology Nurses Association - An organization promoting the health and welfare of infants and young adults with acquired or congenital heart disease by enhancing the art and science of pediatric cardiovascular nursing.
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Nursing Section of the Society of Critical Care Medicine - Offers membership and listserv information, legislative updates, and news.
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