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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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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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SQUEEZE UK

Information for patients

Postoperative vasopressor usage: a prospective observational study: relation to perioperative atrial fibrillation (AF)

Why is the SQUEEZE UK study being performed?

Some patients that undergo surgery develop a syndrome called vasoplegia. Vasoplegia occurs when the function of blood vessels becomes impaired and the blood pressure falls to abnormally low levels. Vasoplegia requires the use of additional medications (vasopressors) to maintain blood pressure. Where vasoplegia persists after surgery, it often necessitates admission to the intensive care unit for management of vasopressors, resulting in prolonged hospital stays and leading to a great potential for complications including the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that increases the risk of stroke and death.

In the SQUEEZE UK study, we wish to identify factors (e. g. patient age, sex, medical conditions, type of surgery and intraoperative management) that are associated with the requirement of vasopressor medications or lead to the development of AF during or after surgery.

How does the SQUEEZE UK study work?

The SQUEEZE-UK study will be conducted in many centres in England and Wales. This will be a two-part study. Part one (Cohort A) involves collecting data for seven consecutive days from all patients undergoing surgery as hospital inpatients. The primary objective is to determine what proportion receives vasopressors and develops AF. In part two (Cohort B), we will recruit thirty further patients that develop vasoplegia and examine their records in more detail. This will allow us to identify risk factors that predict the development of vasoplegia and AF.

We will examine how commonly AF occurs in patients undergoing surgery. The data collected in this study will also be analysed as part of the worldwide SQUEEZE study, ongoing in over 35 countries, to understand the impact of vasoplegia and AF on patient outcomes.

What do we wish to achieve with the SQUEEZE-UK study?

The data collected will provide a unique insight into vasoplegia and AF following surgery in the UK. Whilst complications such as vasoplegia only occur in a small proportion of patients, because of the large number of people undergoing surgery this potentially affects thousands of patients each year in the UK alone. Understanding the relationship between vasoplegia, AF and patient outcomes is important to develop new ways to improve the patient’s journey through surgery and reduce complications.

What does the SQUEEZE UK study involve for patients treated at participating hospitals?

As part of the SQUEEZE UK study, the research team will access medical records and record information about their stay in the hospital before, during and after surgery. Participation in the study will not affect the medical care received in any way. In particular, there will be no additional interventions or tests. Patients who would rather not have their information collected can contact the study team to opt out of the study. Opting out of the study will not affect the care provided.

Which data will be collected and what happens with it?

The data used will include your year of birth, information about your medical history, the reason for your surgery and the treatments you received before, during and after the operation. Your personal data will not be shared directly with study team members outside the hospital where you are being treated. If you have requested that your NHS data is not shared for research and planning purposes (by registering a National Data Opt-out) then your data will not be collected or used in any way. All data collected in the UK and worldwide will be stored securely at the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care in Brussels.

The Health Research Authority has provided legal support to the SQUEEZE UK study under section 251 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The management of data follows advice from the Confidentiality Advisory Group, an advisory body which provides independent expert advice on the use of confidential patient information without consent in England and Wales.

Study summary and contacts:

Project Title:Postoperative vasopressor usage: a prospective international observational study: relation to perioperative atrial fibrillation (AF) 
Short Title:SQUEEZE-UK 
CTGOV IDNCT03805230 
Version/Date:SQUEEZE Protocol UK version 1.1 dated 25 April 2022 based on SQUEEZE International Protocol v2.0 dated 06 April 2021. 
Project design:Multi-centre prospective observational study conducted in England and Wales 
Sponsor:Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLiverpool, UKUK Sponsor ID: 6028 
Funder:European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC)Rue des Comédiens 24, 1000 Brussels, BelgiumE-mail: research@esaic.org 
Chief Investigator for the UK:Prof. Dr. med. Ingeborg Welters Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
UK Investigator Team:Prof. Tony WhitehouseDr Ben Creagh-BrownDr Tomasz TorlinskiDr. Alicia WaiteDr Brian Johnston 
Contact details:Email (UK study team): SqueezeUK@liverpoolft.nhs.uk *You should be aware that contacting this email address carries the risk of you losing your anonymity.

Documents

SIV Squeeze UK study summary Prof Ingeborg Welters – 03/05/2022

SIV Squeeze UK CRF summary Dr. Tomasz Torlinski – 29/04/2022