At CHEST 2024, October 6 to 9 in Boston, you’ll have your choice of 300+ educational sessions covering every aspect of clinical chest medicine. Learn more, and register today.

Salim Surani, MD, MSc, FCCP

Salim Surani, MD, MSc, FCCP

For more than 20 years, Salim Surani, MD, MSc, FCCP, has attended the annual CHEST conference. And this year’s event—CHEST 2024, taking place from October 6 to 9 in Boston—is no exception to this attendance streak. The annual event offers a trio of benefits, according to Dr. Surani: insights and information on cutting-edge research and technology, networking opportunities, and access to leaders in the field.

“When you go to CHEST, you get it all,” Dr. Surani said. “We have something for everyone.”

That includes coverage of timely topics, such as the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in chest infection treatment, said Dr. Surani, who is Chair of the Chest Infections/Disaster Medicine/Systemic Disease Curriculum Group as well as the Chest Infections and Disaster Response Network.

The CHEST 2024 curriculum is designed to appeal to clinicians at all points in their careers and in a wide array of specialties and degrees. “Most of what we do in the ICU or patient care area requires a multidisciplinary team approach,” Dr. Surani said.

Here's a look at some of the chest infection and disaster response topics Dr. Surani is anticipating in Boston.

The role of AI in diagnosis and treatment

There are near-endless ways AI can further health care. Chest infections are no exception. “AI is going to help us in diagnosing sepsis earlier on,” Dr. Surani said. “That means saving lives.” At CHEST 2024, sessions will explore the role and limits of AI in health care.

Ever-evolving infections—and antibiotics used to treat them

Most people admitted to the hospital, whether they’re outpatients or in the ICU, have some sort of an infection, Dr. Surani said. There’s no separating infections from the pulmonary field, he noted.

“This is one of the most evolving fields,” Dr. Surani said. “The moment we think we have learned enough, some new infection comes in, and the antibiotics get resistant.” This adds up to an urgency to staying current on infections and treatment options.

Reacting to wildfires and other disasters

Wildfires. Climate change. War and violence. Supply chain shortages. These are just a few of the recent events that doctors have faced in the past few years. Preparation is key, Dr. Surani said.

“It’s inspiring and fascinating to go into the disaster response field, which is always changing and doesn’t get boring,” he said.

At CHEST 2024, you’ll find sessions on pollution (both outside and indoor) and wildfires—including a segment where clinicians can hear directly from firefighters on how they tackle fires. There will also be an examination of exactly what happens in an ICU when disasters strike, Dr. Surani said.

A pro-con debate with leading experts

One of the sessions Dr. Surani is most excited about: a pro-con debate about hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia point-of-care tools with leading experts in the field: Marcos Restrepo, MD, MsC, PhD, from the University of Texas Health San Antonio, and Charles Dela Cruz, MD, PhD, from Yale.

“There’s controversy over whether we should use the new technology because of the cost issue,” said Dr. Surani. The pro-con session offers a chance for you to hear both sides of the debate, as well as ask questions of the experts. “It’s going to be fun to watch them battle it out,” Dr. Surani added.

Bottom line: “There are so many sessions happening every hour at CHEST 2024, I can bet you will have two, three, or even four sessions you want to attend, and you won’t have enough time to fit them all in,” Dr. Surani said. (Luckily, if that’s the case, registrants can purchase an On Demand Pass with their registration—and get post-meeting access to session recordings.)