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The ESAIC is dedicated to supporting professionals in anaesthesiology and intensive care by serving as the hub for development and dissemination of valuable educational, scientific, research, and networking resources.


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Congresses

The ESAIC hosts the Euroanaesthesia and Focus Meeting congresses that serve as platforms for cutting-edge science and innovation in the field. These events bring together experts, foster networking, and facilitate knowledge exchange in anaesthesiology, intensive care, pain management, and perioperative medicine. Euroanaesthesia is one of the world’s largest and most influential scientific congresses for anaesthesia professionals. Held annually throughout Europe, our congress is a contemporary event geared towards education, knowledge exchange and innovation in anaesthesia, intensive care, pain and perioperative medicine, as well as a platform for immense international visibility for scientific research.


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Professional Growth

The ESAIC's mission is to foster and provide exceptional training and educational opportunities. The ESAIC ensures the provision of robust and standardised examination and certification systems to support the professional development of anaesthesiologists and to ensure outstanding future doctors in the field of anaesthesiology and intensive care.


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Research

The ESAIC aims to advance patient outcomes and contribute to the progress of anaesthesiology and intensive care evidence-based practice through research. The ESAIC Clinical Trial Network (CTN), the Academic Contract Research Organisation (A-CRO), the Research Groups and Grants all contribute to the knowledge and clinical advances in the peri-operative setting.


Learn more about the ESAIC Clinical Trial Network (CTN) and the associated studies.

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The ESAIC is actively involved as a consortium member in numerous EU funded projects. Together with healthcare leaders and practitioners, the ESAIC's involvement as an EU project partner is another way that it is improving patient outcomes and ensuring the best care for every patient.


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Patient Safety

The ESAIC aims to promote the professional role of anaesthesiologists and intensive care physicians and enhance perioperative patient outcomes by focusing on quality of care and patient safety strategies. The Society is committed to implementing the Helsinki Declaration and leading patient safety projects.


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To ESAIC is committed to implementing the Glasgow Declaration and drive initiatives towards greater environmental sustainability across anaesthesiology and intensive care in Europe.


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Partnerships

The ESAIC works in collaboration with industry, national societies, and specialist societies to promote advancements in anaesthesia and intensive care. The Industry Partnership offers visibility and engagement opportunities for industry participants with ESAIC members, facilitating understanding of specific needs in anaesthesiology and in intensive care. This partnership provides resources for education and avenues for collaborative projects enhancing science, education, and patient safety. The Specialist Societies contribute to high-quality educational opportunities for European anaesthesiologists and intensivists, fostering discussion and sharing, while the National Societies, through NASC, maintain standards, promote events and courses, and facilitate connections. All partnerships collectively drive dialogue, learning, and growth in the anaesthesiology and intensive care sector.


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Guidelines

Guidelines play a crucial role in delivering evidence-based recommendations to healthcare professionals. Within the fields of anaesthesia and intensive care, guidelines are instrumental in standardizing clinical practices and enhancing patient outcomes. For many years, the ESAIC has served as a pivotal platform for facilitating continuous advancements, improving care standards and harmonising clinical management practices across Europe.


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Publications

With over 40 years of publication history, the EJA (European Journal of Anaesthesiology) has established itself as a highly respected and influential journal in its field. It covers a wide range of topics related to anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, including perioperative medicine, pain management, critical care, resuscitation, and patient safety.


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Becoming a member of ESAIC implies becoming a part of a vibrant community of nearly 8,000 professionals who exchange best practices and stay updated on the latest developments in anaesthesiology, intensive care and perioperative medicine. ESAIC membership equips you with the tools and resources necessary to enhance your daily professional routine, nurture your career growth, and play an active role in advancing anaesthesiology, intensive care and perioperative medicine.


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Congress Newsletter 2021

EA21 Newsletter: Over 1kg of plastic waste is produced per patient anaesthetised, Spanish study finds

Over 1kg of plastic waste is generated per anaesthesia procedure, an audit of surgical patients in a burns unit in Spain presented at this year’s Euroanaesthesia has revealed. Plastic wrappers are the most common item of waste.

It is estimated that hospitals contribute up to 1% of solid waste in developed countries, with 21-30% of this coming from surgery. It has also been estimated that up to 60% of this waste could be recycled. Knowing more about how and when the waste is generated could raise awareness of the issue and aid with this recycling, as well as reduce the unnecessary use of plastics.

Anaesthesia residents Dr Fernando Suels and Dr Oscar Alfani and colleagues at anaesthesiology and intensive care department of Vall D’Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, collected and weighed the waste generated from anaesthesia procedures in the operating theatre of their hospital’s burns unit in November 2020.  Waste generated by other teams was excluded.

They then looked at how the patient’s sex, health (ASA score), type and length of procedure and type of anaesthesia affected the amount of plastic waste.

The 10 women and 24 men whose burns operations were included in the study had an average age of 49.7.

An average of 1,057g of plastic waste was generated, per patient, from anaesthesia alone. General anaesthesia produced almost three times as much plastic waste (1,407g) per procedure as sedation / local anaesthesia (492g).

Examples of the plastic items discarded as waste include syringes, infusion lines, aspiration tubes and their wrappers.

The type of surgery (severity of the burn) did not affect the amount of plastic waste but longer operations were associated with more waste. There was no difference in plastic waste between male and female patients.

The anaesthesia of the sickest patients, those with an ASA score of IV, produced more waste.  But, as there were only two patients in this category, no firm conclusions can be drawn.

Plastic wrappers were the most common item, although they did not account for the bulk of the weight.

The researchers say that it is likely that similar amounts of plastic waste are produced in other hospitals in Spain and around the world and, although some is recycled, more recycling could be done.

Dr Suels explains: “More than 50 types of plastic items are commonly used in the operating theatre and because almost everything is sterile and single-use, almost every item comes in a plastic wrapper.

“While materials that have been in contact with biological fluids cannot be recycled, it’s estimated that up to 60% of the plastic used by anaesthesia in surgery is suitable for recycling.

“Although there is some recycling of plastic wrappers and other items, more recycling could be done.

“Other strategies include working on the other two ‘Rs’ of waste management, Reduce and Reuse (where possible), which are even better for the environment than recycling, and running educational campaigns.”

Study author Dr Fernando Suels, Anesthesia and Intensive Care Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain can be contacted on: E) fsuels@vhebron.net

For the full abstract click here 

For the full poster click here

 

Read More of our special newsletter covering our virtual congress.