History of medical intensive care in France: 1954–1975

Abstract

In France since 1954, intensive care medicine has been developed in all university hospitals in special medical units named “réanimation médicale”. It was a new approach to treat severe acute illness. Clinical, biological and pathophysiological analysis of all acute events represented a new way manage patients, allowing possible significant progresses in their treatment. Artificial kidney and mechanical ventilation were the two first in the world therapeutic tools of this new medicine.