TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - An Approach to Critical Care A1 - Hall, Jesse B. A1 - Schmidt, Gregory A. A1 - Wood, Lawrence D. H. A2 - Hall, Jesse B. A2 - Schmidt, Gregory A. A2 - Kress, John P. PY - 2015 T2 - Principles of Critical Care, 4e AB - Thoughtful clinical decision making often contributes more to the patient's outcome than dramatic and innovative interventions or cutting-edge technology.While protocols and checklists inform general care of patient populations in the ICU, for individual patients it is equally important to formulate clinical hypotheses based on an understanding of pathophysiology, then test them.Define therapeutic goals and seek the least intensive intervention that achieves each.Novel treatments require objective clinical trials before they are implemented, and traditional therapies require clarification of goals and adverse effects in each patient before their use can be optimized.Determine daily whether the appropriate therapeutic goal is treatment for cure or treatment for palliation.Critical care is invigorated by a scholarly approach, involving teaching, learning, and performing research. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1107710595 ER -