How should trauma patients be managed in the intensive care unit?

Every year across the United States, between 500,000 and 1 million patients are treated in intensive care units for injuries resulting from traumatic mechanisms. The therapies provided in these intensive care units are paramount to the recovery and well-being of these patients. And while no single factor is solely responsible or optimal care of trauma patients, several key variables have been identified as critical elements of appropriate trauma intensive care. Broadly speaking, the hallmarks of an optimal trauma intensive care unit include infrastructure designed with the consideration of trauma needs, personnel dedicated to the care of trauma patients, as well as an encompassing armamentarium of resuscitation tools. These should include, but are not limited to, invasive and noninvasive hemodynamic monitors, point of care biochemical testing, and algorhythmic based practice management guidelines focused on minimizing system- and user- based errors. Similar to other fields of critical care practice, the optimal care of trauma patients managed in an intensive care unit must be informed, and guided by, rigorous evidence-based guidelines and expert level opinions.