The Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine runs the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and the neurological intensive care unit (NICU) in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
We provide opportunities for ICU rotations through SICU and NICU for Advanced Specialty Trainees in Intensive Care Medicine from other hospitals as well as longer rotations for overseas fellows.Our trainees, medical officers, fellows and residents will be exposed to a wide variety of cases including complex neurosurgical cases, post operative surgical cases and be experienced in managing different modalities of nutrition, hemodynamic support, renal replacement therapies and advanced modes of ventilation and care of the multi trauma patient. We also have an experienced multi disciplinary team running the home ventilation service. As such, there is a broad range of teaching and learning opportunities during clinical duties which involve all strata of medical staff, along with important input from critical care pharmacists, dietitians, physiotherapists, respiratory therapies and experienced nursing staff. The twice weekly ICU, Multidisciplinary Infectious disease (IMI) rounds, offer another opportunity to learn from our experienced colleagues. Challenging and interesting cases are discussed during our monthly ICU grand rounds.
The range of exposure gained is valuable to everyone from junior doctors passing through ICU to our advanced trainees sitting for the Intensive care medicine exams.The College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) in Australia accredits all positions in our ICU as C12 training positions.
Our department started an in-house Practical Critical Care (PraCC) training course in 2005 to introduce our medical officers to the practice of intensive care medicine. This year, we are collaborating with the intensive care specialists from the department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine from Tan Tock Seng Hospital as well as the director of Intensive Care from Alexandra Hospital to start the Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care (BASIC) Course. Developed by Charles Gomersall and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, this comprehensive 2 day course is provided to all junior doctors, doctors caring for the critically ill. All doctors rotating through ICU are encouraged to attend. BASIC comprises of lectures and skill stations led by members of our consultant group, including simulation and group work, and has been updated to reflect latest and best practices. The course aims to teach ICU concepts and therapies, as well as familiarity with monitoring and equipment.
Other courses on the horizon include:
- Transthoracic echo for assessment of the critically ill
- Practical course on extra corporeal blood purification in the ICU