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In the intensive care unit (ICU), you learn how to care for the sickest patients in the hospital. In critical care, every second counts. The goal of this rotation guide is to help you understand the studies that support clinical decisions for critically ill patients and introduce the important concepts that you will encounter daily in the ICU.

The topics in this rotation guide are organized as follows:

Other topics related to critical care are covered in the following rotation guides:

If you are interested in a career in critical care, see Next Steps for information about professional societies, meetings, and additional resources.

For a brief history of critical care, click here.

Jeffrey  Drazen, MD
Jeffrey Drazen, MD, is a pulmonologist, critical care physician, and NEJM Group Editor. He is a Senior Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Distinguished Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Physiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Drazen served as Editor in Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine from 2000–2019.

This rotation guide was developed by a collaborative team of contributors including:

Writers: Leslie Chang, MD; Siri Kadire, MD; Mike Mi, MD; Andrea Merrill, MD; Rebecca Berger, MD (NEJM Fellows); Jordan TalanPeer Reviewers: Daniela Lamas, MD; Paul Dieffenbach, MD; Raolat Abdulai, MD; and Joe Rencic, MDSection Expert: Jeffrey Drazen, MDSenior Editor: Ole-Petter Hamnvik, MB BCh BAO, MMScLast updated: December 2022 by Laura McNamara, MD

Brief Case Presentations with Pictures
Critical Care Images
Brief Case Presentations with Videos
Critical Care Videos