title: The Genesis, Maturation, and Future of Critical Care Cardiology.
abstract: The cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) has changed considerably over time and now serves a unique patient population with a high burden of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular critical illness. Patient complexity and technological evolutions in the CICU have catalyzed the development of critical care cardiology, a fledgling discipline that combines specialization in cardiovascular diseases with knowledge and experience in critical care medicine. Numerous uncertainties and challenges threaten to stymie the growth of this field. A multidisciplinary dialogue focused on the best care design for the CICU patient is needed as we consider alternative approaches to clinical training, staffing, and investigation in this rapidly evolving arena.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Cardiology and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: katzj@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Jason N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minder
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olenchock
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Cardiology and Critical Care, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldfarb
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Washam
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina; Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: L Kristin
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Newby
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Cardiology and Critical Care, University of Alberta Hospital, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Diepen
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000266:history; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans
keywords: quality of care; research; training