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May 2002
Volume 66 |
Number 5
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SUBSPECIALTY NEWS
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| ITACCS: A Critical Specialty
for a Growing Field |
Enrico M. Camporesi, M.D., President
International Trauma Anesthesia and Critical Care Society
The International Trauma Anesthesia and Critical Care Society
(ITACCS), founded in 1988, is a leading organization in the multidisciplinary
specialty of traumatology. Since its inception, the organization
combined a multidisciplinary approach with the European approach
to manage trauma for anesthesiologists involved in patient resuscitation
from the inception or even in prehospital transport. A large international
staff was present at that time at the Maryland Institute for Emergency
Medical Services, where many international visitors train.
ITACCS has always been animated by its energetic Executive Director
Christopher M. Grande, M.D. Past presidents have included Adolph
H. Giesecke, M.D., now co-editor of the journal Trauma Care (soon
to be published entirely by electronic media) and co-editor John
K. Stene, Jr., M.D., Ph.D. Both directed the initial growth of
the Society. They also were responsible for the academic flavor
of the Society, which has resulted in a long series of textbooks
and monographs. Additional past presidents include Peter Baskett,
M.D., reflecting a British lineage, and Elizabeth A.M. Frost,
M.D., presently (Emeritus) Director of the Postgraduate Assembly
in New York, New York. I had the good fortune to lead this organization
during the past four years, which were successful for public visibility
yet more recently troublesome due to recent terrorist events.
We are slowly emerging from a dramatic reduction in educational
travel that caused the cancellation of instructional seminars
and courses. Publication of trauma-based monographs has continued
with a recent volume on "Prehospital Trauma Care," edited
by Marcel Dekter.
Several key concepts in trauma management have been illustrated
in symposia and monographs, including: the concept of temperature
maintenance during the diagnostic and treatment phase; control
of relative euvolemia and appropriate hematocrit; protection of
the airway and management of the trauma airway; control of neuromuscular
transmission during management and transport; appropriate use
of regional/segmental anesthesia for pain control and post-treatment
pain relief; and the capacity to fit an anesthetic/resuscitation
plan with complex diagnostic imaging techniques. A lively discussion
has ensued concerning the appropriate providers for anesthesia
care during treatment, comparing prehospital care in the European
scene versus emergency medical team, emergency physician and other
transport specialists throughout the world.
Additional successful concepts have been developed regarding
street-level airway management, seminars addressed to the public,
bioterrorism attacks, diagnostics on biological terrorism agents,
management of catastrophe and mass casualties, and special attention
to military medics in declared and covert conflicts.
Several committees highlight the productivity of this organization:
a pediatric trauma committee, a disaster and mass casualty committee,
a developing nations program, hospital and emergency medical services,
military intensive care anesthesia consortium, special equipment
and techniques for trauma and a technology subcommittee that has
been busy evaluating a variety of noninvasive monitoring equipment
and issues on patient transport. A geriatric trauma committee
has evaluated and advocated for elderly trauma, rehabilitation
and reimbursement for this group of patients. The research committee,
which I had the honor to chair for many years and which is presently
under the direction of Colin F. Mackenzie, M.B., University of
Maryland, has evaluated annual presentations and awarded several
prizes. It also has awarded prospective research funding and coordinated
multi-institutional research initiatives in the trauma area.
In a few weeks, President-Elect Michael J.A. Parr, M.D., of Sidney,
Australia, will assume the presidency at the time of the ITACCS
Annual Meeting on May 23-25, 2002, in Stavanger, Norway. Dr. Parr
will bring new ideas and new connections to the Society. An extensive
Web site can be viewed at < www.ITACCS.com
>, where the values, activities and committees are detailed as
well as lectures scheduled throughout the world.
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Enrico
M. Camporesi, M.D., is Professor and Chair, Department of
Anesthesiology, Professor of Physiology, and Director, Hyperbaric
Oxygen Treatment Unit, University Hospital, State University
of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York. |
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