An interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of topics
 germane to the specialty of Critical Care Medicine:

The holistic daily care of the patient as it uniquely pertains to the ICU setting including drug therapy and medical/nursing management of high technology life support systems.

Determinations of resuscitation (code) status, and the realistic dealing with death and dying as it pertains to the ICU setting.

The management of scarce resources in the ICU setting, including the evaluation of problems associated with limitation, withholding and withdrawal of life support.

The logistics of CCM-L are as follows:

1) The Cyber-Consult Service- critical care consultations in (more or less) real time from experts around the world. Questions regarding ongoing patient care usually generate replies in hours if not minutes following presentation. Please insure patient confidentiality by obfuscating any information not specifically germane to medical issues.

2) The CCM-L Journal Club- discussion of current critical care literature. Please cite references accurately.

3) The CCM-L Forum- discussions of what's happening in the global medical socio-political arena. Please be concise and remain focused. Such discussions may be moderated by the CCM-L Listgrupenmeister.

Netiquette for CCM-L

Other lists have frowned on posting messages to the list that are unrelated to central issues. We at CCM-L break this regulation regularly, but at the same time we ride close herd on it. So here are the rules. Please abide by them.

The prime purpose of the LIST is to discuss issues germane to Critical Care Medicine. However, we all have a life too and so other interesting things are sometimes fair game. If you choose to post something that is unrelated to the central theme of the list, you must follow two maxims:

Your "unrelated" post should have at least have some thread that most of the members are probably interested in. Forwarded messages from other LISTS containing jokes and other unrelated material are discouraged. Many members pay real money to download posts, and they don't appreciate paying to get David Letterman's Top Ten List.

Put something OBVIOUS in the SUBJECT AREA that implies that you are posting something that may be interesting but is unrelated to CCM. In this fashion, those members who like getting medically related jokes or your personal spin on some subject can view them and those hard noses that have no interest in such fluff can flush them without looking.

Try to keep your messages short and to the point. Compose your message and spell check it, then go over it one more time to see if you can cut out any fat. Many members are on more than one list and they have a limited time to read posts. If it is too long may be flushed on first sight as soon as it's length becomes apparent. If I think a thread is starting to drag, I might contact the principals and request they continue individually.

Have something to say or to add before you post. Messages offering thanks, jibes,or congratulations need only be mailed to the interested parties. The same holds true for simple questions meant to be seen by one person only, and especially for any form of "me too" posting. Don't post announcements regarding major news events (e.g. the space shuttle has just exploded!) to the list. By the time most people receive such items, they will long since have been informed by conventional media.

Don't include the entire text of the message you are responding to in your answer. This makes it difficult to find your answer in the maze of hash marks and text. It is OK to select out brief portions of interest and then put your answer immediately underneath. Be brief and concise.

Avoid offending genteel sensibilities by avoiding offensive language or racist/sexist remarks. Remember that your posts will possibly be read by thousands of people in numerous countries. Think before you push the button.

If you have a disagreement with another member, don't hash it out over the net. "FLAMING" will not be tolerated. Unrepentant flamers will be unceremoniously canned. Take it outside if you desire to continue.

Remember that we are an international group and members who live in countries other than the USA do not understand political in-jokes , Americanisms and most drug trade names. Use only generic names for drugs and remember to explain yourself if you think foreigners might not get the gist of what you are talking about. They will appreciate it.

Submissions in a single case (all upper or all lower) are difficult to read. DON'T USE ALL CAPS except briefly to enhance your point! It is considered shouting and is uniformly disliked by all.

If you don't immediately see your posting, don't assume it failed and try to re-post it. Some sites have set up the local software to process mail periodically. If your post is routed through such a site, it may be delayed. Thus, your post may not appear immediately. If you post again, you will send multiple copies of the post to the list.

Please use a "signature file" at the end of your message with your name, address, affiliation, land line phone and fax. This will facilitate other kinds of communication if the occasion rises.