Acute care surgery: an emerging discipline integrating trauma, emergency and ICU

Acute care surgery (ACS) is an emerging discipline integrating trauma, emergency, intensive care unit (ICU) and surgical rescue in the general surgery. ACS mainly diagnoses and treats critically ill patients with acute abdomen, trauma, and postoperative complications. ACS can solve the problem of insufficient emergency, trauma, and critical patient treatment capabilities caused by excessive differentiation in general surgery. After more than ten years of development, there are specialized academic organizations, specialized training programs, and specialized training materials for ACS. China has established the Chinese Society of Acute Care Surgery of Chinese Medical Doctor Association in 2023. The ACS department integrates the general surgery ward and ICU into one department for the treatment of critically ill patients, with specialized physicians possessing both surgical and intensive care capabilities. The operation mode of ACS can ensure the continuity and integrality of treatment for critically ill patients and improve the treatment results of the acute ill patients.