Siaarti holds 80th Icare national congress in Milan

The 80th national congress of the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (Siaarti), known as Icare 2026, opened at the Allianz MiCo in Milan. The event brings together approximately 3,000 participants to discuss advancements in medical technology, pain management, and emergency care.

Elena Giovanna Bignami, president of Siaarti, highlighted a positive shift in the profession, noting that specialization contracts in anesthesia and resuscitation rose to 90% in 2026, up from 81% in 2025. The congress also addresses professional well-being, focusing on preventing burnout and managing the emotional and physical demands of the job. Siaarti is calling on the Ministry of Health and hospital directors to implement better working hours and continuous training.

Clinical discussions include multidisciplinary approaches to pain management—covering postoperative, chronic, and palliative care—and critical emergency protocols. Specifically, the congress addresses cardiac arrest, noting that Italy sees approximately 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually. New national guidelines from the Italian Resuscitation Council (IRC) were also a key point of discussion, emphasizing the importance of rapid intervention and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).