The Future of Critical Care Medicine

In the early years before what we now call critical care medicine, patients at risk for organ system failure were isolated in specialty units, cared for by their personal physician assisted by multiple specialists. This usually resulted in fractionated care, communication between all these physicians sometimes lacking. With the advent of Dr. Peter Safar and the Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), all these factions were pulled into a singularity, aided by clinical fellowships to train providers. In 2024, the training and practice of critical care continue to evolve toward an unclear future.