ute ▁( or ▁adult ) ▁resp ir atory ▁dist ress ▁synd rome , ▁hy pert ension , ▁met ast ases ▁and ▁other ▁life - th re aten ing ▁conditions . ▁ ▁Pat ients ▁may ▁be ▁referred ▁directly ▁from ▁an ▁emer gency ▁department ▁or ▁from ▁a ▁w ard ▁if ▁they ▁rapidly ▁d eter ior ate , ▁or ▁immediately ▁after ▁surg ery ▁if ▁the ▁surg ery ▁is ▁very ▁invas ive ▁and ▁the ▁patient ▁is ▁at ▁high ▁risk ▁of ▁comp lications . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁Florence ▁Night ing ale ▁left ▁for ▁the ▁Crime an ▁War , ▁where ▁tri age ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁separate ▁seriously ▁wounded ▁soldiers ▁from ▁the ▁non - life - th re aten ing ▁conditions . ▁ ▁Until ▁recently , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁Night ing ale ▁reduced ▁mort ality ▁from ▁ 4 0 % ▁to ▁ 2 % ▁on ▁the ▁battle field . ▁Although ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁case , ▁her ▁experiences ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁formed ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁her ▁later ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁san it ary ▁conditions ▁in ▁hosp it als , ▁a ▁critical ▁component ▁of ▁int ensive ▁care . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁an est h esi ologist ▁Peter ▁Saf ar ▁established ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁" Ad vanced ▁life ▁support ", ▁keeping ▁patients ▁sed ated ▁and ▁vent il ated ▁in ▁an ▁int ensive ▁care ▁environment . ▁Saf ar ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁pract ition er ▁of ▁int ensive ▁care ▁medicine ▁as ▁a ▁special ity . ▁