The ICSI Critical Care Trials Group was founded in November 2005, at the ICSI Autumn meeting in Kinsale. Although aspirational for many years, there are obviously significant difficulties in the organisation and co-ordination multi-centre clinical trials. In the Irish critical care environment this is particularly so, given the frenetic pace of workload, high throughput of patients, and the lack of dedicated consultant or fellow research time. None-the-less the motivation is high, and this was particularly evident at the inaugural meeting of the group.

The first thing to be addressed was had we as a group a particular scientific question we wish the group to pursue? Many such questions were suggested, but guided by the sound principles of groups before us ( the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Trials Group, and the Scottish Intensive Care Society ), and advised by Simon Finfer and John Marshal ( invited speakers with the ICSI ), it was apparent that the ordinary demographics of the Irish critical care patient population had to be understood first.

The ICCTG has now completed the demographic study, with participation from 12 intensive care practices across the island of Ireland. This data is now being analysed, with some of the early dataset queries due for presentation at the ASM 2007. We anticipate having a full report published by mid-summer 2007. This work was co-ordinated and supported by the Clinical Research Support Centre in Belfast.

In the interim we are promoting on-going collaboration with other large critical care trials groups, particularly through involvement with GenoSept (ECCRN), SAFETRIPS, and EPIC 2.