2nd European symposium on liquid ventilation.

After the successful meeting in Berlin, advances and research results in the understanding of liquid ventilation has been performed. About 80 applied and basic scientists met in the 1st European Symposium, from clinicians (pediatricians, neonatologists, intensivists, etc.) to other basic scientists (physiologists, biologists, bioengineerings, etc.). Furthermore, we also invited representatives of pharmaceutic industry interested in this hot topic. Our main goal is to provide an opportunity for all liquid researchers in this field to meet together and with the top scientists of Liquid Ventilation Research. We planned to provide both a scientific and a friendly atmosphere to enhance the exchange of experiences and to facilitate future plans. We hope this 2nd European Symposium will be a continuation point for collaboration of groups in Europe, to study all research aspects of the technique to carry on future trials. There are still a lot of unanswered questions to be solved. Among the unsolved issues and practical questions we would like to point out the following items: 1. Perfluorocarbon: which product to use and how to deliver it. 2. Perfluorocarbon interactions in the lung. 3. Perfluorocarbon. Toxicity and cytoprotection. 4. Partial Liquid Ventilation: ventilatory strategies from delivering to weaning. 5. Impact of Partial Liquid Ventilation Experimental and clinical aspects. 6. General discussion and plan for the future. We know that none of these questions can be completely answered now, but hope collaboration and communication will bring us closer to achieve these goals. Moreover, concerted actions should be started to search for research grant founding. For all those reasons we would like to thank all active and passive participants, who came to Bilbao to present, discuss and foster future work in Liquid Ventilation.