Multidisciplinary integration and fusion based on critical care medicine and immunology: History, current status, and prospects

Critical care medicine focuses on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment approaches for life-threatening conditions, including sepsis, severe trauma/burns, hemorrhagic shock, heatstroke, and acute pancreatitis, all of which have high incidence rates. These conditions are primarily characterized by acute multi-organ dysfunction, with sudden onset, severe illness, and high mortality rates. Additionally, critical care treatment demands substantial medical resources, imposing significant economic burdens on patients' families and society. In recent years, critical care medicine has achieved notable progress, especially in multidisciplinary integration with immunology-based fields. Collaboration across disciplines has not only accelerated advancements in critical care but also propelled the rapid development of modern immunology. This paper provides an overview and assessment of the cross-disciplinary fusion between critical care medicine and immunology, exploring how these fields related extensions mutually enhance each other. It further analyzes China's potential to become a global leader in this area within the next 5 to 10 years.