The International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue (ISOTT) was founded in 1973 as a scientific society providing a forum for bioengineers, basic scientists (physiologists, biochemists and physicists) and clinicians (including anesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, pediatricians, neonatologists, internists, surgeons and other specialists) to facilitate the exchange of scientific information among those interested in any aspect of the transport and/or utilization of oxygen in tissues. From the ranks of its members, many fundamental discoveries and inventions have been made involving the many aspects of oxygen transport and utilization by biological tissues. The ISOTT proceeding, now in its 14th edition, has become a standard work in the field as witnessed by the inclusion in the Science Citation Index of all volumes published so far. The 19th ISOTT Meeting was held in Curacao from August 24th through August 30th, 1991.^
The Curacao Meeting attracted 145 registrants and 45 accompanying persons. The format originated by Dr. Ian Longmuir in 1985, consisting of posters accompanied by an abbreviated oral summary, was again successfully handled with slight modifications. The meeting was introduced by 6 review lectures covering the whole field of oxygen transport from bioengineering, the problem of diffusion in lung, blood and tissue through pathology of oxygen uptake in the lung, oxygen supply dependency of the critically ill to artificial oxygen carriers. A special session dealt with oxygen supply under ambiant pressure changes. Furthermore, each special session was introduced by one or several introductory reviews and main lectures on topics of current interest. Technical developments for oxygen measurement in tissue, pulmonary gas exchange registration, acid base analysis and the evaluation of tissue metabolism and whole body metabolism were further basic topics discussed.^
A second topic of great clinical implication was pharmacological regulation and augmentation of tissue oxygen supply, pulmonary gas exchange (with main emphasis on pulmonary surfactant replacement) and, further, tissue protection from oxygen deficit damage and artificial oxygen transporting agents. In accordance with overall concept of the congress, demonstrations with personal discussions and thereafter, plenary reports and discussions took place.
