SOUTH AMERICAN CORNER By Ciro Ramos Estebanez, MD, PhD
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Dear Colleagues,
I am happy to announce the creation
of a new section devoted to South and
Central America in the Neurocritical Care
Society’s international magazine Currents.
Our society continues looking forward
to expand its global footprint. This new
section invites insights and developments
from our neurocritical care peers from the Americas.
The first Neuro ICU is rumored to have been established by
Walter Dandy in 1932. However, it has taken us nearly a
century to marshal under a united banner. Our young society
was founded in 1999, and in 2003 we gathered together
for its inaugural annual meeting. Fifteen years later, we are
reaching the maturity and capability of a thousand-strong
membership. The Neurocritical Care Society continues to
engage our peers worldwide.
Understandably, the history of NCS is a brief one punctuated
by infrequent joint ventures. Nevertheless, the wide majority of
current stakeholders harbor the desire for a thriving international
collaborative atmosphere.
The new crop of neurointensivists must cater to the needs of
specific populations in diverse communities, as non-traditional
neurological conditions increasingly present themselves
within their territories. Indeed, the neurointensivist’s role has
transitioned from that of a consultant to that of a super-specialist,
tackling the challenges surrounding brain injury. Physicians and
nurses in the domains of anesthesiology, general medical intensive
care units, trauma units, neurosurgery, and pharmacy have helped
to catalyze NCS during the past decade.
In this context, we envision
this column as an opportunity
for Latin American
neurointensivists to join us
in collaboration. We believe
our colleagues’ expertise will
surely enrich the rapidly
changing dynamics of our
field. Such an alliance will
result in a mutual exchange of
information required to save
lives and reduce the regional
burden of neurological disease.
We welcome physicians,
pharmacists, and nurses in the
domains of anesthesiology,
general medical ICUs, trauma
units, and neurosurgery to join
forces with NCS and further
catalyze our field.
Finally, we invite all stakeholders within our growing specialty
to attend the NCS-endorsed fourth annual International
Neurocritical Care and Research Symposium taking place
November 21–24, 2017, in Quito, Ecuador. Such a congregation of
our peers under the umbrella of the Latin American Brain Injury
Consortium (LABIC) will allow us to build a unified database to
continue advancing collaboration and research.
Ciro Ramos Estebanez, MD, PhD
Case Western Reserve University
cramoses@icloud.com
