Dear Colleagues:

Since ancient times, man has pondered the mystery of his own death. It seemed that by knowing the meaning of his death, he would be prepared to understand the reason for his life. For ages, people considered life to exist as long as an individual was breathing. It was later realized that respiration was a means of maintaining the heart, which circulated the blood. The focus then turned to cardio-respiratory function. But, in the middle of this century, physicians became aware that the brain required much more energy than other organs and that, if its needs were not met, it would cease to function, while other parts of the body (requiring less energy) might regain their activity provided that respiration was supported by intensive care. The result would be a dead brain in a viable body. French neurologists and neurophysiologists documented this at the end of the 1950s. Is such a patient alive or dead?

Although some decades have passed, there are still worldwide controversies about a concept of human death on neurological grounds. There are also disagreements on the diagnostic criteria for brain death, whether clinical alone or clinical plus ancillary tests. Moreover, some scholars who were strong defenders of a brain-based standard of death are now favoring a circulatory-respiratory standard.

This was the scene we faced in 1992, 1996, 1996, and 2000, when we convoked colleagues from around the world to attend the First, Second, and Third International Symposia on Coma and Death. These were truly remarkable gatherings of an impressive number of the most outstanding personalities in the field. Scientific discussions were enriched by multi-disciplinary approaches covering most brain-death-related issues. To be sure, not all differences of opinion were resolved in the debates; therefore, we are far from a final consensus on the subject of human death.
We are pleased to announce the holding of the IV INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON COMA AND DEATH at the Havana International Conference Center on March 9-12, 2004. Please mark these dates on your calendar and inform us if you would like to be included on our mailing list.

Our main goal is to provide a suitable scientific platform to discuss all topics related to human death and coma. Cubans, as hosts, will sincerely offer a warm hospitality. This small Caribbean Island, with the greenness of its countryside surrounded by an incredible blue sea, will provide a most proper venue to remind us that the main motivation for discussing death is the betterment of life.

Sincerely,

Calixto Machado, MD, Ph.D.
President of the Symposium

Top

Main Topics

Top

Speakers

Top

Organizing Committee

• Maria del C. Amaro, RN, Mr. Sci
• Yoel Avila, RN
• Antonio Enamorado, MD
• Dagoberto Fernández, MD
• Jorge Lage, MD
• Leonardo Pérez, JD, Mr. Sci
• Daniel Piedra, Ph.D.
• Antonio Pillo, JD, Mr. Sci
• Sofía Sordo, JD, Mr. Sci
• Roberto Suárez, MD, JD
• René Zamora, MD
• Calixto Machado, MD, Ph.D. - President

Top

Official Languages

English and Spanish

Top

Pre-Symposium courses
(March 8, 2004; four-hour sessions. Registration fee: US $30.00 each.)

• Annual meeting of the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery
  
• First International Seminar on Cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation in the 21th century
  
• Measuring brain blood flow (SPECT)
  
• New trends in cerebral protection
  
• Sleep and coma
  
• Donation and transplant organization systems
  
• Intensive care of the organ donors
  
• Immunology and organ transplantation
  
• Legal and ethical controversies on the dilemma at the end of life
  
• Ethical challenges and medical decision-making
  
• Neuromonitoring of critical patients
  
• Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coma and death in children
  
• Cerebrovascular disease: current state of knowledge at the threshold in the new millennium
  

Top

Audio-visual aids

• Powerpoint presentation
  
• Single or dual projection of 35 mm slides
  
• Videos must be presented in VHS or Beta format, NTSC 3.58 standard
  
• Video Beam multi-standard
• Posters. Posters must be presented on a 0.95 m. wide by 2 m. high maximum format
  

Top

Call for abstracts

Participants are invited to send abstracts concerned with all aspects of brain death and coma before December 15th, 2003. Submissions are subject to the following conditions:

• Abstracts must be submitted in English.
  
• Format the abstract exactly according to the following model:
  
• Type the title in capital letters. Do not underline the title. Space two lines underneath the title. Type the author's name(s) in lower case and put the name of the presenting author first. Include the name(s) of the institution(s) where the work was done. Space two lines and type the entire abstract as one paragraph in lower case. Do not use subtitles. When using abbreviations, spell out the word or phrase in full the first time mentioned, followed immediately by the abbreviation in parentheses.
• Abstracts should be sent by e-Mail. An On-line submission will be possible very soon. Alternatively abstracts may be sent on a floppy disk, IBM compatible, labeled with author name, title, and preferred session
  

Top

Travel visa

If you decide to arrange the trip to Havana through an International Conference Center agency, the agency will guarantee you the visa. Entry to the country is granted to all foreigners taking part in congresses organized in Cuba, regardless of their nationality. Participants must meet the normal requirements, i.e. they must posses valid travel documents and sufficient means of support. Participants requiring a visa for entry to Cuba are strongly advised to make their application in their home countries at least one month before the intended date of travel.

Visa application procedures are faster when the acknowledgment of registration is included. All registered participants will receive such confirmation once their registration has been processed by the Symposium secretariat and their payment has been made. In absence of the above, participants are advised to fax or e-mail, at least 30 days in advance, the following data:

• Name and surname
  
• Maiden name.
  
• Sex.
  
• Date and place of birth (please write out the name of the month).
  
• Passport No., date of issue, expiration date.
  
• Citizenship/Nationality.
  
• Occupation.
  
• Full home address.
  
• Expected date of arrival in Havana.
  
• Expected duration of stay in Cuba.
  
• Flight No. / Airline.
  
  

Top

Letter of Invitation

On request, the Secretariat will be glad to send you a personal invitation for the Symposium. It should be understood that such an invitation is not a commitment on the part of the organizers to provide any financial support.

Registration Fee: $350.00
Includes:

• Badge
• Symposium documentation
• Access to all Symposium activities
• Certificate of presentation and/or attendance
• Welcome cocktail
• Farewell party

Accompanying persons $ 100
Includes:

• Badge
• Access to all activities for accompanying persons
• Opening and closing ceremonies
• Access to all social and cultural activities
• Souvenir

Top

Tourist Package

Price of the Tourist Packege for person, expressed in USD:

Include:

• Lodging and Breakfast
• Transfer in/out (Airport - Hotel - Airport)
• Transfer to event's working sessions
• Guide Service
• Personalized attendance
• Specialized visits (2)

For applications of Tourist Package:

For American Citizens contact:

Any inquires and abstracts may be directed to:

Top