The intensivist must be competent not only in a broad spectrum of conditions among critically ill patients but also with the technical procedures and equipment used in the intensive care setting such as airway management, rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia, maintenance and weaning of sedation, central venous and arterial catheterisation, renal replacement therapy and management of mechanical ventilators.
Doctors who complete training are awarded Fellowship of the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (FCICM) and are eligible to practice as a consultant Intensivist.
The Swedish Board of Health and Welfare regulates specialization for medical doctors in the country and defines the speciality of anaesthesiology and intensive care as being: “[…] characterized by a cross-professional approach and entailing A medical doctor can enter training as a resident in anaesthesiology and intensive care after obtaining a license to practice medicine, following an 18-24 month internship.
Majority of the patients that are admitted to the ICU are severely ill, and these physicians are experts at managing their complex challenges including multiple organ failure, life-threatening infections, trauma victims, and more.
[13][14] Ambulance services employ units staffed by intensivists that can be called out to provide advanced airway management, blood transfusion, thoracotomy, ECMO, and ultrasound capabilities outside the hospital.