London Trauma Conference 2014

Introduction The London Trauma Conference (#LTC2014) & London Cardiac Arrest Symposium (#LCAS2014) have become an extraordinary international showcase for the innovation, research, talent and passion that is dedicated to the medical care of major trauma and critically ill patients. The 8 London Trauma Conference did not disappoint and, in a reversal of the Royal Geographical Society’s history of global exploration, it has now become the focus of an expanding annual pilgrimage of the trauma faithful from across the world. This year, 1,113 delegates representing a wide range of countries enjoyed a programme designed to challenge, inform and, true to the ethos of the hallowed corridors of the venue, pioneer new medical frontiers. The opening two days of the Main Conference centered upon key trauma issues, day three focused upon Air Ambulance and Pre-Hospital Care, with the London Cardiac Arrest Symposium returning as a two-day event on the third and fourth days. Concurrently with the main conference, Master classes in Thoracotomy / REBOA and Cardiac Arrest, as well as Breakaway Sessions covering topics as diverse as Trauma Research, Remote Critical Care and Motorsport Medicine, provided lots of choice and difficult decisions! Whilst there were many memorable and fascinating elements to the 2014 London Trauma Conference, if there was a theme building at this year’s conference it was that we may be witnessing the beginning of an endovascular revolution in resuscitation. Extraordinary talks on REBOA in London, Pre-Hospital ECMO in Paris and the prospect of Selective Aortic Arch Perfusion (SAAP) could herald new approaches to treating the previously unsalvageable patient. The article that follows describes highlights from the Main Conference programme and introduces the outstanding range of research abstracts that were presented at the London Trauma Conference 2014. However it would be impossible to comprehensively cover the depth and insight of the talks in this supplement but if you want to hear what you missed in 2014 and whet your appetite for December 8-11 2015 ((#LTC2015) then session highlights, interviews with speakers, talk overviews and great conference summaries are available as links from the article below, with London Trauma Conference Podcasts published on sites including St. Emlyn’s, Life in the fast lane and RCEM FOAMed.