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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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EU Projects

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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Sustainability

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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Membership

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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Newsletter 2022

Newsletter July 2022: Resident corner - How to balance and avoid fatigue during residency

Antonia Kustura, Dilara Akcal
Trainees Committee Education Taskforce

Trainees-committee@esaic.org

Almost every study puts anaesthesiologists in the top five specialities with the highest prevalence of burnout syndrome. A combination of demanding patient responsibilities and long working hours with sleep deprivation can be quite strenuous. It’s clear why specialities with fewer shifts and emergency work are associated with significantly lower burnout levels.

Residents might be even more prone to burnout due to education obligations, frequent rotations, adaptations to the new environment and lack of control of the overtime schedule. Factors such as young age, female gender, and unmarried status further increase the risk for burnout. Additionally, a period of residency is often intertwined with personal changes such as birth of a baby or financial difficulties. On top of that, there are exams, seminars and other training obligations, preparations for exams, scientific work or perhaps even a PhD study. How can residents combine and fulfil all the obligations?

Burnout is a serious and dangerous condition, but there’s something more widespread and worrying: namely tiredness and fatigue. Uncorrected and prolonged fatigue can cause burnout, depression and suicidal tendencies. Do symptoms like procrastination, daydreaming or delaying tasks and paperwork sound familiar to you? Unable to concentrate or focus? These are all consequences of fatigue. This might even lead to substance use.

Perhaps the work overload and fatigue in combination with insomnia is the cause of substance abuse among residents in anaesthesia. Studies showed that nearly every propofol addict started injecting to overcome persistent insomnia. Besides propofol abuse, there is also fentanyl, ketamine etc. abuse. Trainees could be the most vulnerable part of the healthcare system due to their excessive workload.

Fatigued residents are at a higher risk for medical errors. The paradox is that patients’ safety and the prevention of errors are possibly the of the most important objectives of healthcare systems but unfortunately the current systems often leads to such an overload of work which might lead to more errors in healthcare.

Our work in operation rooms and intensive care units is especially problematic because it leaves us little room for arranged breaks which could lead to fatigue, irrespective of the hours worked. My colleague said to me yesterday: “Since the beginning of this month I have been feeling quite tired and it’s getting worse.”

The COVID pandemic has changed our lives completely. The pandemic was all-consuming at every level of our lives. Extreme demands have increased the responsibility of trainees and unsupervised practising due to lack of staff is one part of the changes trainees have experienced during that time. Now, when we hopefully see the end of the pandemic, trainees are eager to achieve a more healthy work-life balance.

The question is, what can hospitals (or health care systems) do to help residents regarding fatigue?

How to help?

There are publications about fatigue management for residents and fellows. Strategies include adherence to duty hour restrictions, availability of call rooms for napping, and education on fatigue management. Even when there is an available call room, sleep quality is almost abysmal with many monitors sounding and lightning.

One of the publication’s proposals is to offer free caffeinated drinks. An Australian study found that doctors reported needing 400 milligrams a day, more than two times the average amount, to stay awake, which is exactly the amount that The Mayo Clinic recommends as a maximum per day. However, solutions for tiredness should not be the sole consumption of excessive amounts of coffee.

Many European countries have laws to limit working hours and mandatory rest time, but it is often unclear how those are implemented.

In the end, trainees have the greatest responsibility and possibility for themselves to change their environment and make it easier. Studies have shown that having hobbies and doing regular activities may be helpful to overcome stress and fatigue. Families and social support can be an effective resource in reducing stress and promoting health and well-being, which could reduce fatigue.

Organisation skills are now more needed than ever. Even one hour of free time or commute time can be used for education. For example, the ESAIC Academy offers a series of established training educational activities along with the latest updates. Instead of music, why not listen to the podcast? Social media is not necessarily a waste of time. There’s a huge number of fellow anaesthesiologists who dedicate their spare time to educating others. Find them and follow them, combine scrolling with learning.

The quality of support from residency mentors could also be a problem. That is why it’s important to have a trustful educational source of information such as ESAIC. Moreover, residents don’t have to spend time searching for quality content because the ESAIC produces guidelines and reports regarding anaesthesia and intensive care on a regular base.

The Euroanaesthesia congress is also a remarkable platform for all trainees. There trainees can participate in sessions reflecting on the latest developments in our speciality and engage in hands-on courses for skill development. Attending the congress can greatly expand training skills and knowledge. Additionally, meeting other trainees from different countries can help to share worries, find out about others’ work-life balance strategies, and help find motivation for further growth and progress.

The current work requirements make it quite challenging to archive a satisfactory work-life balance. Some people would say you just have to get past the training. But you should enjoy your time during residency. If you feel you feel fatigued, try to seek help and keep investing in your mental and physical health. Only by taking care of ourselves can we also take care of our patients. Try to focus on the positive elements of our job. If you can’t change your work schedule, try to adapt. Be active, socialise, and use available resources for education. Stay positive, good times are coming!

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