[2017 clinical breakthroughs in critical care medicine]

New achievements in critical care medicine 2017 may include updating of "Surviving Sepsis Campaign" international guideline. Comparing evaluation of sequential (sepsis-related) organ failure assessment (SOFA) and quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA), combination therapies with steroid, vitamin B1 and vitamin C in patients with sepsis, identification of endophenotype of sepsis, as well phenotype of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, it is also need to mention some of negative trials, such as levosimendan in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, low-dose immunoglobulin G and polymyxin B hemoperfusion for patient with septic shock, and enteral versus parenteral early nutrition in ventilated adults with shock. In addition, the trends that more gene technical methods have been utilized in the field of diagnosing and management of patients typically with critically ill conditions have been noticed, which may pose as a key role linking to the future of critical care medicine.