Login to myESAIC Membership
Back

About

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.


Back

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.


Back

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.


Back

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.

pink fluid being poured into many test tubes
Back

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.


image of a stethoscope laying on the european flag
Back

Sustainability

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


Back

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.


Back

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.


Back

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.


Back

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.


Membership opportunities
at the ESAIC

woman showing another woman something on her computer in a hospital

ESAIC News

IntelliLung: An AI-based system for lung support in intensive care

The ESAIC has been a consortium member for six EU-funded projects, and its extensive network, combined with its diverse range of in-house services, means it successfully contributes to answering research questions at a European level. One of these projects is IntelliLung, which is funded by the Horizon Europe programme.

The project started in 2022 and is scheduled to run until 2027. It focuses on how intensive care patients often need mechanical ventilation (MV) or extracorporeal lung support (ELS). However, these therapies can also cause harm to the lungs if not adjusted properly. The project looks at how the settings of these devices can be optimised to provide the best possible care for each patient.

EU Horizon-funded project

The IntelliLung project involves partners from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, and the USA. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Thea Koch and Dr. Jakob Wittenstein from the TUD Dresden University of Technology (TUD). The goal is to develop an intelligent lung support system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to guide clinicians in choosing the optimal parameters for MV and ELS. The system will learn from the data of previous patients and the expert knowledge and feedback of clinicians to provide personalised recommendations. It will also explain the rationale behind its suggestions and provide information on the specific diseases and therapies.

AI-based decision support system

The IntelliLung AI-based decision support system (AI-DSS) uses advanced algorithms to analyse the data from MV and ELS and other sources such as electronic health records and blood gas analysis. It then generates and displays the optimal settings for MV and ELS, along with the expected outcomes and the confidence level of the recommendations. In recent months, the research team has developed a new version of the algorithm that suggests additional ventilation settings compared to the initial version. The algorithm is currently undergoing further testing and development. The technical teams of Institute Mihajlo Pupin, Institute fuer Angewandte Informatik e.V. (InfAI), Better Care, DEMCON Macawi Respiratory Systems, and Fundación Pública Andaluza Progreso y Salud are working on developing the data recording and data output system, with a prototype currently being tested.

ESAIC survey on user perspectives

Last year, the ESAIC designed and disseminated a survey on an AI-based decision support system’s attitudes, expectations, and needs. Conducted within the framework of the IntelliLung project and sent to all ESAIC subscribers, the survey focused on understanding the users’ perspectives of anaesthesiologists and intensive care specialists. Currently, TUD is evaluating the survey data and preparing the results for publication.

Clinical trial and prospective study

The IntelliLung project aims to validate and extend the AI-DSS in a clinical trial involving more than 480 mechanically ventilated patients. The following project partners are involved in the clinical trial: TUD Dresden University of Technology, University of Genoa, Servicio Madrileno de Salud, and Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Warsaw. The trial will compare the performance of the AI-DSS with the current standard of care. Currently, preparations are ongoing for the multi-centre, prospective study according to medical device regulations (MDR).

The project aims to improve the survival and recovery of intensive care patients in need of MV and ELS and reduce the costs and complications associated with these therapies. It will also contribute to the advancement of AI in healthcare and demonstrate the potential of digital health solutions to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of critical illnesses.

The project’s results should be finalised in 2027, but interim results will be presented at Euroanaesthesia 2024. The ESAIC and the IntelliLung team welcome you to the EU booth at the congress to learn more about the project. The project team is happy to answer any further questions you may have. You can contact them by email at ekfz@tu-dresden.de or visit the project website.

Authors

  • Dr med. Jakob Wittenstein – Project Coordinator at TUD Dresden, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Anja Stübner, Public Relations Manager (TUD Dresden, Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health).