ACCA Masterclass
David Michael Walker · European Heart Journal · 2017
The Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA) gathered professionals, experts and key opinion leaders to lead the way to the future in Acute Cardiovascular Care The ACCA organized its first Masterclass in the field of Acute Cardiovascular Care, in March 2017 at a 2-day expert meeting, gathering high-level professionals to discuss, exchange, and debate on the current state of practice, advancement, and future challenges specific to the acute areas of cardiovascular care. Programme directors Prof. David Walker (ACCA Board member and committee chair) and Prof. Christiaan Vrints [Founder of ACCA, ex-officio Board member and European Heart Journal—Acute CardioVascular Care (EHJ-ACVC) editor-in-chief] selected focused topics covering the critical phase of managing patients arriving at hospital with an acute cardiac event: Chest Pain: prehospital and in the emergency department; out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), cardiogenic shock, acute heart failure, and mechanical circulatory support; alternating debate sessions with lectures and case-based discussion. The sessions comprised an expert panel, and the setup aimed to facilitate free discussion, thereby making this event a unique opportunity for interaction and discussion among experts regarding optimizing patient outcomes, but additionally to challenge best practice, identify gaps in evidence and brainstorm regarding future trends.