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Welcome to Critical Care Fellows in Calgary!

We invite Critical Care Fellows Canadian training programs to consider doing a 4-week (or more) elective in Calgary. If you are currently a Critical Care Fellow in a dedicated Canadian 2-year program, the information below is also relevant to you.

We have 3 Different ICU's Offered for Electives

All ICU’s in Calgary are tertiary care Critical Care units serving a city with a population of 1.3 million residents. The ICU’s are all “closed units” staffed exclusively by Canadian board-certified ICU attendings. All units care for high-acuity patients receiving various types of life supports. All elective rotations will provide opportunities to care for very sick patients.

 

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DCCM

General Systems ICU

This also referred to as medical-surgical ICU: There are 3 general systems ICUs in Calgary located at the Rockyview General Hospital (RGH), Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC) and Foothills Medical Centre (FMC). We offer elective experiences at all 3 sites, as available.

icu_ncc

DCCM

Neuro-Trauma ICU

This ICU cares for neurologically injured and traumatized patients. This ICU is located at the FMC. This elective offers exposure to care of trauma patients and those with neurologic disorders (e.g., traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, status epilepticus, stroke, etc).

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DCCM

Cardiovascular ICU

This is a post Cardiac Surgery ICU (CVICU). Virtually 100% of the patients in this unit have had cardiac surgery or major thoracic vascular surgery. Patients on ECLS, LVADS, RVADS are cared for in this unit

The three General System ICU’s units provide the following care and therapies:

  • Standard life support for a broad range of critically ill patients with medical and surgical pathologies. As an indicator of severity of illness:
    • The average APACHE scores of these patients is approximately 19-20
    • Ventilated patients account for between 80 – 85 % of all admissions with approximately 70-75% of all ICU days being mechanically ventilated days
  • Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
  • Advanced Mechanical Ventilation:
    • Prone Positioning
    • Advanced Modes of Mechanical Ventilation
    • Inhaled Pulmonary Vasodilators
  • Advanced Hemodynamic Monitoring:
    • Standard hemodynamic monitoring (arterial and central venous lines)
    • PA Catheter guided resuscitation
    • Echocardiographic monitored resuscitation
  • Procedures including:
    • Percutaneous thoracentesis
    • Chest tube placement
    • Paracentesis
    • Vascular access, special (PA catheters and transvenous pacemaker insertion and monitoring)

The Neuro-Trauma ICU provides all therapies that the Medical Surgical ICUs do but with a focus on neuro-critical care and trauma:

  • Exposure to patients with all forms of severe multi-trauma including serious burns
  • Exposure to patient with all forms of neurological problems:
    • Anoxic brain injury
    • TBI (traumatic brain injury)
    • Raised ICP (intracranial pressure)
    • Intracranial bleeding
    • Status epilepticus
    • Spinal cord pathology
    • Post cardiac arrest hypothermic therapy
  • Multi-disciplinary neuro-critical care rounds
  • Advanced neuro-critical care monitoring:
    • ICP monitors including brain tissue PO2 monitoring
    • Cerebral microdialysis
    • Continuous and non-continuous EEG

The CVICU provides care to patients who have had cardiac or thoracic aortic surgery and your experience in the CVICU would focus on:

  • Exposure to patients who have had:
    • Coronary surgery
    • Heart valve surgery
    • Congenital heart defect surgery
    • LVAD, RVAD, and ECMO devices
  • Advanced hemodynamic monitors and therapy:
    • Pulmonary artery catheter monitoring
    • Echocardiography
    • Intra-aortic balloon pumps
    • Inhaled prostaglandin
    • RV failure management
    • Anti-arrhythmic therapies
    • Percutaneous cardiac pacing
  • Higher turnover, with usually 6-8 admissions per weekday
  • Complicated mixes of multiple vasoactive agents
  • Management of coagulapathy, cardiac tamponade, and massive transfusion

Teams in the ICU:

  • The general system and the neuro-trauma ICU’s are comprised of the following team members who perform daily rounds:
    • 1 ICU attending
    • 1 ICU fellow
    • 4-5 rotating residents
    • 1-2 medical students
    • Bedside RN
    • Nurse clinician or charge nurse
    • Pharmacist
    • Dietician
  • Night and weekend call abides by the PARA call schedule regulations. ICU call is in house at the FMC and “home” call at the PLC and RGH.

Please note that applications must be submitted at least 3 months prior to the start of the rotation.

If you are a Critical Care Fellow in a dedicated 2-year Critical Care training program and you would like to do an elective in Calgary, please contact:

Thelma Bartolome

thelma.bartolome@ahs.ca

(403) 943-5488