The training and role of the surgeon in the intensive care unit.

The central question for surgeons is whether the patient in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) is better served by a surgeon or a nonsurgeon as the responsible physician and as administrator of the SICU. This article explores the challenge of the SICU and the need for solutions, reviews the qualifications of the consultant in surgical critical care, and provides a job description of the director of an SICU.