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The attitude of humility in the context of surgical intensive care medicine incorporates a serving attitude towards the patient and the recognition of limitations in intensive care medicine. Limitations are set in the indications for intensive care medicine, in that which is medically possible and reasonable as well as ethically by the will of the patient which is binding for physicians. Furthermore, there are limitations due to available resources, due to the personal knowledge and abilities of the physician and the intensive care treatment team and due to the equipment in the intensive care ward. It is absolutely necessary to recognize and avoid futile care because this involves the use of resources which will be lost for the care of other patients who would profit from intensive care. The formal difficulties in the definition and determination of futile care are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]