The 19th Congress of Critical Care Medicine of the Chinese Medical Association in 2025 has concluded successfully

May's fragrant flowers are in full bloom, and the Xiangjiang River is surging. On May 23, The 19th Congress of Critical Care Medicine of the Chinese Medical Association grandly opened at the Changsha International Conference Center. Professor Chen Dechang, director of the Critical Care Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Professor Kang Yan, the incoming director, Professor Guan Xiangdong, the former director, together with all members, young members and specially invited guests from home and abroad, attended the grand event, witnessing another important milestone in the development of critical care medicine in China.

This congress is themed 'Opportunities and Innovation' 'Professor Chen Dechang pointed out in his opening remarks: After 20 years of hard work and progress, Chinese critical care medicine has, through innovation in medical treatment, research, teaching, and management, forged a path of development with Chinese characteristics. He emphasized that under the guidance of the policy 'Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Medical Service Capacity in Critical Care Medicine', Chinese critical care medicine will embrace the world with a more open attitude and write a new chapter of high-quality development through mutual learning and exchange.

International Dialogue Opens a New Chapter; 20 Years of Cooperation Begins a New Journey

This congress specially set up four international joint sessions: Sino-US, Sino-European, Asia-Pacific, and Sino-Singapore, bringing together top experts in the global critical care field. Jan De Waele, President of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, Jose L. Pascual, President of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, and Xie Yaoyun, President of the Singapore Society of Intensive Care Medicine, and other internationally renowned scholars attended this academic feast. The congress invited 875 experts and scholars from home and abroad (from 16 countries and regions) to share their academic achievements and analyze clinical difficulties.

At the opening ceremony, Chairman Chen Dechang, on behalf of the Association, signed cooperation memorandums with the chairmen of the European and American Societies of Intensive Care Medicine, and exchanged commemorative plaques marking 20 years of Sino-US and Sino-European cooperation, witnessing the academic friendship spanning two decades.

Promoting development through openness, and seeking innovation through exchange—Chinese critical care medicine is engaging in in-depth dialogue with the world with confidence, allowing Chinese wisdom to shine on the international stage.

Innovation Leads the Way to a Grand Blueprint; Transcendent Development Creates a Splendid Chapter

This congress is a grand event to witness the innovative achievements of Chinese critical care medicine, systematically showcasing the leapfrog development of China's critical care medicine from catching up to keeping pace over the past twenty years.

In terms of medical technology innovation, China's critical care has made a leap from following to running side-by-side. Sepsis treatment is gradually moving towards precision stratification and treatment guided by biomarkers, genomics, and metabolomics; the approval of domestically produced ECMO marks a breakthrough in independent innovation of high-end equipment; AI-integrated clinical intelligent early warning systems have been implemented; large language models assist in high-dimensional data analysis, but challenges remain in solving data silos and algorithm black boxes.

In terms of scientific research system innovation, China's critical care has achieved a leap from quantitative change to qualitative change. In recent years, the proportion of SCI publications by Chinese ICU scholars has increased year by year, achieving original breakthroughs in top journals such as NEJM and JAMA; policy support from the Ministry of Science and Technology/National Health Commission has created an innovative ecosystem, and multi-omics research platforms have promoted basic-clinical translation.

In terms of teaching model innovation, China's critical care has upgraded from traditional to intelligent methods. Digital twin technology enables virtual ICU decision simulation; system restructuring: undergraduate case teaching → postgraduate research training → 5C/5Cplus training for critical care specialists forms a closed loop; textbooks are dynamically updated every 2-3 years; a transnational teaching cooperation network has been established under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

In terms of management mechanism innovation, China's critical care has achieved a transformation from emergency to forward-looking institutional design. Guidelines establish a full-cycle management of 'prevention-treatment-rehabilitation'; the 'peacetime-wartime combination' mechanism dynamically reserves beds; guidelines drive the digitalization of diagnostic and treatment processes, and remote MDT + tiered diagnosis and treatment optimize resource allocation.

Chinese critical care medicine is promoting high-quality development of the discipline through systematic innovation, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the global development of critical care medicine.

Academic Gathering Shows Diverse Splendor; Abundant Fruits Create Brilliance

The academic activities of this congress were rich and varied, including 4 plenary reports (1 academician, 1 domestic scholar, 2 foreign guests), 4 pre-congress (21st and 22nd) continuing education training modules, 929 academic lectures, 12 case discussions, 39 English Corners, 87 paper presentations, and 110 poster presentations. Several critical care annual achievements were released at the opening ceremony—critical care guidelines: 'Guidelines for the Construction and Development of Critical Care Medicine', 'Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Intravascular Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections'; training manuals: 'Core Technology Qualification Training Manual for Critical Care Medicine', 'Guide to the National Advanced Health Professional Qualification Examination'; critical care textbooks: the 14th Five-Year Plan textbook on 'Critical Care Medicine'; yearbook: 'Critical Care Medicine 2025' yearbook; journal: the new English journal in the field of critical care medicine, 'Journal of Intensive Medicine', was selected as a 'tiered journal' in the second phase of the 2024 China Science and Technology Journal Excellent Action Plan; project funds: 'Chinese Medical Association Critical Care Medicine Special Clinical Research Fund'; 6 high-quality papers.

Talents from Five Continents Gather in Changsha; Articles from All Over the World Discuss Critical Care

This congress was unprecedented in scale, with a record-high number of paper submissions, totaling 5291 academic papers. The congress set up 1 main venue and 19 sub-venues, and specially set up 4 continuing education training venues, 1 poster exchange area, 1 information review area, 2 English Corner exchange areas, and a critical care medical themed exhibition stand, creating a comprehensive academic exchange platform.