Organized by Sichuan Preventive Medicine Association (SPMA), Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and undertaken by the hospital’s Department of Critical Care Medicine, the West China-Mayo Forum of Critical Care Medicine 2019 (WMFCCM 2019) was held in Chengdu Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center on November 14-17. The forum saw attendance of 1,847 experts in critical care medicine at home and abroad, along with Prof. Song Shigui, Deputy Director of Sichuan Provincial Commission of Health, Ma Xiao, Head of SPMA, Zhang Mengfan, Secretary General of SCIMEA, Prof. Li Weimin, President of West China Hospital, Prof. Guan Xiangdong, Chairman of Chinese Society of Critical Care Medicine (CSCCM) in Chinese Medical Association (CMA), Prof. Yu Kaijiang and Liu Dawei, both former chairmen of CSCCM in CMA, Prof. Chen Dechang, Chairman-elect of CSCCM in CMA, Prof. Du Bin, Head of Chinese Association of Critical Care Physicians (CACCP), Prof. Ma Penglin, Chairman of CSCCM in Chinese Association of Pathophysiology, Prof. Daniel R. Brown and his critical care team from Mayo Clinic, and Prof. Vilas Navapurkar, Clinical Director of Intensive Care at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals.

Themed on “Advancing Core Skills and Focusing on Hot Topics”, the forum addressed issues in nearly 20 disciplines, such as respiratory critical care, critical care nursing, neurocritical care, visualization of diagnosis and therapeutics for critical care, analgesia and sedation for critical care, extracorporeal life support, critical care rehabilitation and humanistic care, nutritional therapy, organ transplantation and perioperative management, critical care traumatology and coagulation, circulatory support for critical care, quality management and IT application for critical care, respiratory therapy, multi-disciplinary collaboration, infection and immunology in critical care, and critical care R&D. Through keynote speeches, special forums, group discussion, hot topics discussion, case studies, and expert panel discussions, the forum endeavored to spotlight the global development of critical care medicine in 2019, and provide the attendees with the most up-to-date information. It was positioned to enhance the clinical skills of critical care workers and communicate development trend of the industry, in a hope of spawning opportunities of international exchange and cooperation and expediting the development of critical care medicine.          

On the plenary meeting of WMFCCM 2019, professors including Guan Xiangdong, Daniel R. Brown, Yu Kaijiang, Chen Dechang, Liu Dawei, Du Bin and Ma Xiaochun took turns to deliver keynote speeches on “Preventive Medicine in Critical Care, Hospitalization Trend in Mayo Clinic by 2022,” “Intelligent Critical Care Outlook by 2030,” “Micro-ecology and Critical Diseases,” “Clinical Thinking in Critical Care,” “ICU without Walls,” “Philosophical Thinking in Critical Care,” and “Sepsis and Coagulation.” Their speeches have profoundly inspired the audience with the most up-to-date academic trends and state-of-the-art theories and technologies.                 

At parallel meetings on November 15, Chinese and foreign experts and professors elaborated on disciplines such as respiratory critical care, critical care nursing, neurocritical care, visualization of diagnosis and therapeutics for critical care, analgesia and sedation for critical care, extracorporeal life support, critical care rehabilitation and humanistic care, and nutritional therapy. The meetings also featured onsite consultation and debate that helped broaden the audience’s horizons.

The meeting on November 16 highlighted academic discussions on critical care nursing, organ transplantation and perioperative management, critical care traumatology and coagulation, circulatory support for critical care, quality management and IT application for critical care, respiratory therapy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, infection and immunology in critical care, and critical care R&D. Through face-to-face consultation, experts and professors furthered the audience’s knowledge and understanding of critical care medicine.  

As the main features of WMFCCM 2019, the expert panel discussions and hot topic discussions put together the greatest minds of the industry to share their views on much-talked-about topics of 2019. A dozen of medical trailblazers at home and abroad, such as Daniel R. Brown, Brendan T. Wanta and Man Li from Mayo Clinic, Craig M. Coopersmith from Emory University, Vilas Navapurkar, Guan Xiangdong, Du Bin, Ma Penglin, as well as Kang Yan from West China Hospital and Yang Yi from Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, hashed over three major themes, i.e. “Do critical care physicians in different countries share the same working models,” “Whether sepsis bundle should be included as quality control indicators of critical care medicine” and “What are your concerns about the growing presence of AI in ICU,” all freely airing their insights. With significant yet unresolved issues in critical care medicine thoroughly canvassed, the discussions were expected to offer constructive views on the industry’s prospect.           

The hot topic discussions were riveted on the adjustment of vascular permeability as a new approach to circulation and resuscitation for septic shock, mechanical energy as a new indicator in mechanical ventilation, a subtype of clinical syndromes, delirium treatment after the publication of PADIS, and milestones of the industry in 2019. The discussions brought to light the latest heartening technologies and achievements, giving the audience a glimpse of the unlimited potential of critical care.      

As the medical industry advances by leaps and bounds, its technologies and the practitioners’ knowledge keep on renewing. By bringing together the pathfinders of critical care, WMFCCM 2019 shed some light on the cultivation of critical care doctors, ICU assessment system, ICU patient management model, ICU quality control indicators, AI-enabled management, critical care-related IT application and career development of respiratory therapists. Only by fully tuning in with the ever-evolving information, progress, R&D trend and management model, can critical care industry take its mission to the next level.