Assessment of the organ function as the primary intention of clinical reasoning applied to the critically ill patient.

Abstract

This article examines how clinical reasoning about the critical patient is currently treated and draws attention to some critical issues already often highlighted in the literature. Traditional approaches to clinical reasoning, even when applied to critical patients, prioritize identifying structured diseases. In contrast, the critical care setting demands an alternative approach that aligns with the intensivist's goal of supporting or substituting vital organ functions. In this manuscript, we emphasized the reasons that make it primary for intensivists to obtain a diagnosis of function in order to act therapeutically. Moreover, we highlighted the challenges posed by diagnostic errors, often attributed to cognitive biases and shortcomings in clinical reasoning, which can adversely affect patient outcomes and resource utilization. We also discussed the complexities of clinical decision-making in emergency medical services, where physicians must perform rapid actions in the face of incomplete information and high uncertainty. We underscore the limitations of traditional information technology tools in facilitating practical clinical reasoning, advocating for the integration of relevant data that directly informs on organ function and pathophysiological mechanisms. This discourse emphasizes a deep understanding of physiology and pathophysiology as foundational for practical clinical reasoning in critical care. Finally, we propose a structured assessment method that prioritizes pinpointing the compromised organ function, elucidating the pathophysiological mechanism responsible, hypothesizing potential causes, and testing these hypotheses to guide therapeutic interventions. This approach aligns clinical reasoning with the intensivist's goal: supporting and restoring vital functions in the critically ill patient.