In the year 2008, knowledge and technology develop continually in every field of our lives, and, with no exception, in critical care medicine as well. This continuous growth is implicit in our daily activities. We could not imagine our lives today without it. Nowadays, as health care professionals, we surely do not want a fever to last for one week before we can make a diagnosis of typhoid fever for our patients. We can use some simple tests instead and institute prompt therapy.
We believe that these rapid developments in the acute care medicine fi elds motivated Dr. Iqbal Mustafa 11 years ago to found this Critical Care and Shock Journal; a Journal that despite many other similar journals has persisted and evolved. It was Dr. Mustafa who realized that the development of international communications would only give benefit to mankind if it could be spread out, especially within the scientific community. Dr. Mustafa’s knowledge and ability in critical care medicine as well as his willingness to promote Indonesia and other Asia Pacific countries in that field, and good relationship with his colleagues worldwide have made this Journal publication easier.
Against this backdrop many foremost authorities in critical care medicine submitted their articles to be published in Critical Care and Shock. A few years later this Journal was adopted as one of the official journals of the Asia Pacific Association of Critical
Care Medicine (formerly known as the Western Pacific Association of Critical Care Medicine). Uniquely, as we previously wrote in Critical Care and Shock Vol. 7 No. 3, the authors from many countries were brought together in a yearly medical conference in Bali, which we all know as the International Symposium on Critical
Care and Emergency Medicine.
The year 2008 marks the fifteenth anniversary of this conference; we still wish that our goal to academic and clinical progress will be achieved through the exchange of information in this international, multidisciplinary conference. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the speakers and participants who are
willing to contribute their invaluable knowledge and time in this prestigious event. Congratulations to the Organizing and Scientific Committees on their tireless efforts to organize this meeting yearly.
Simon Nanlohy, Joseph Varon
