From the Editor-in-Chief

During the period 13-16 April 2002, an outstanding event took place in Doha, Qatar. It was the Qatar International Trauma and Emergency Medicine Conference and Doha Neurotrauma Symposium. The first of its kind to be held in the Gulf region, the scientific meeting brought together an estimated 1200 Emergency Medicine participants from all over the world. The event was co-sponsored by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM).

The Conference program included outstanding lectures presented by distinguished Emergency physicians from several countries, such as Professor Joseph Epstein, one of the founders of the Australian College of Emergency Medicine; Professor James Holliman, Director of the Center for International Emergency Medicine of Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA; Dr. Amin Antoine Kazzi, Vice President of the AAEM; Dr. Mahamoud Daya of Portland, Oregon, USA; Mrs. Donna Hastings, Coordinator Life Support Training, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Professor Ralph Kester from Leeds, UK; Professor Michael Rees, Bristol, UK, and many others.

Research abstracts from the region were also presented daily on three different tracks.

During the conference the attendees announced the inauguration of the new Pan-Arab Society of Trauma and Emergency Medicine (PASTEM) with its headquarters in Qatar. About 150 EM doctors from the Arab countries who attended the conference formed the Executive Committee.

By all accounts, the conference exceeded expectations. In this special issue of the Middle East Journal of Emergency Medicine you will find guest lectures presented during the conference in addition to oral and poster abstracts.

-- Abdul Wahab Al Mosleh
   MD, FRCS(I), CABS
   Editor-in-Chief
   Assistant Medical Director
   Chairman of Accident & Emergency and EMS Departments
   Hamad Medical Corporation