title: Cardiac surgical ICU care: eliminating "preventable" complications.
abstract: The goal of this article is to provide an outline of the latest advances in critical care that pertain to the open heart surgery patient, pinpointing initiatives that would enable physicians and institutions to successfully implement guidelines, protocols, checklists, and initiatives that have been shown to improve patient safety.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple, Texas 76508, USA. jshake@swmail.sw.org
authors.forename: Jay G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Shake
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pronovost
authors.forename: Glenn J R
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Whitman
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D003422:Critical Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D061214:Patient Safety; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic