Thirty years of critical care medicine
1 Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Université libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium
2 Department of Intensive Care, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
3 Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Regions Hospital, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul, 640 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101, USA
4 Department of Intensive Care, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, E.P.E., Alameda de Santo António dos Capuchos, 1169-050 Lisbon, Portugal
5 Division of Pulmonary, Sleep and Critical Care Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
6 Cardiovascular Research Institute and Departments of Medicine and Anesthesia, University of California at San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143-0624, USA
7 Department of Critical Care Medicine, 606 Scaife Hall, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
8 Department of Intensive Care Medicine, St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, Blackshaw Road, London, SW17 0QT, UK
9 Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, and Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology, University Health Network and Mt Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, 600 University Avenue, Suite 18-206, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
10 Unit of Critical Care, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK, and Adult Intensive Care Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW6 NP, UK
11 Service de Réanimation Polyvalente de l'hôpital Raymond Poincaré, 104 bd Raymond Poincaré, 92380 Garches, France
12 Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Chicago Hospitals, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 6026, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Critical Care 2010, 14:311 doi:10.1186/cc8979
Published: 27 May 2010Abstract
Critical care medicine is a relatively young but rapidly evolving specialty. On the occasion of the 30th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, we put together some thoughts from a few of the leaders in critical care who have been actively involved in this field over the years. Looking back over the last 30 years, we reflect on areas in which, despite large amounts of research and technological and scientific advances, no major therapeutic breakthroughs have been made. We then look at the process of care and realize that, here, huge progress has been made. Lastly, we suggest how critical care medicine will continue to evolve for the better over the next 30 years.
