ESICM Talk

What has changed in the 2025 ESICM guidelines on circulatory shock and haemodynamic monitoring, and what does it mean for clinical practice?

In this podcast, our guest, Dr Antonio Messina, Chair of the CD Section, discusses the key updates in the new guidelines and explores practical approaches to assessing tissue perfusion and haemodynamic status, including the role of capillary refill time, peripheral perfusion, and combined biological and macrocirculatory parameters.

The discussion also explores fluid responsiveness assessment and its role in guiding fluid therapy in patients with circulatory shock.

These are just some of the topics discussed, with many more practical insights and recommendations from the 2025 guidelines explored throughout the podcast.

Listen to the latest ESICM Podcast and discover what is new in the 2025 guidelines.

How do you optimise drug dosing in a critically ill patient undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)? Drug dosing during CRRT can be challenging, with multiple factors influencing drug clearance and exposure.

In the latest ESICM Podcast, experienced clinical pharmacists explore the key determinants of drug clearance during CRRT, focusing on the interplay between the patient, the drug and the CRRT circuit.

The discussion highlights how drug characteristics, such as volume of distribution, and CRRT-related factors can influence drug removal and dosing, and why a personalised approach is essential to optimise treatment in critically ill patients.

Listen to the latest ESICM Podcast and discover what determines drug clearance during RRT.

This year, ESICM is proud to mark World Sepsis Day with a special podcast, "From Awareness to Action," featuring ESICM President Jan De Waele in conversation with Krista Bracke, sepsis survivor and advocate behind the initiative Sepsis Stronger Together. Together, they discuss what survival really costs, where the gaps between evidence and practice remain, what the new 2026 SSC Guidelines mean for the bedside, and how the clinical and patient communities can work together to drive meaningful change — from education and workforce investment to European policy and national sepsis plans.

Why should every ICU clinician be prepared to recognise heat stroke?

In this podcast, we explore the importance of early recognition and treatment of heat stroke, from the emergency department to the ICU. Discover how rapid intervention can dramatically improve outcomes, with survival rates of up to 80% when treatment is initiated early.

We also discuss the key clinical signs to look out for—including neurological symptoms such as ataxia—and the challenges of recognising multi-organ dysfunction and the overlap between heat stroke and sepsis. Listen to the podcast and discover the key messages every ICU clinician should know when managing this time-critical emergency.

Whole blood has made a remarkable comeback in trauma care—but is it here to stay? In this thought-provoking podcast, leading experts unpack the latest evidence comparing whole blood with component therapy in the pre-hospital setting, challenge current practices, and explore what the future may hold. From military experience to civilian emergency care, discover how research is reshaping transfusion strategies and what it means for the care of critically injured patients.

Do not miss this educational podcast; listen to our expert and learn from the best!

In this podcast episode, the last of the ESICM podcast series on Innovation in Intensive Care, we explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence in healthcare education and clinical practice. The discussion covers the impact of AI on clinical decision-making, the risks of deskilling, the future of personalised learning, AI-enhanced simulation, the potential of virtual and augmented reality, and why every clinician may need a basic understanding of AI and data science to thrive in the future of healthcare. Listen to Professor Laura Hawryluck interviewed by our outstanding expert, Paul Elbers.

Mechanical ventilation remains a cornerstone of intensive care, but innovation in this field now extends far beyond the ventilator itself. Today, advances in monitoring, data analytics, decision-support systems, and artificial intelligence are transforming the way clinicians manage critically ill patients.

How can these technologies help us deliver more personalised and effective care? And where does the real innovation lie—in the machines, the data, or the way clinicians use them?

In this podcast, we explore how innovation is shaping the future of mechanical ventilation and intensive care.

What kind of intelligence are we bringing into the ICU—and how can it support, rather than replace, clinicians?

As AI and data-driven tools become part of everyday intensive care, clinicians must learn how to integrate these technologies into their decision-making. But what is required to build trust in these models? Do they need to be fully explainable, biologically plausible, or demonstrate causality, or should we accept a degree of uncertainty if they improve patient care?

In this episode, we explore how we can educate clinicians to work effectively with AI and how data-driven approaches can complement, rather than replace, clinical expertise.

What are the benefits of moving from controlled to assisted mechanical ventilation in patients with Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure (AHRF)? In this podcast, experts discuss the physiological rationale behind this transition, the potential advantages for patient recovery, and the risks clinicians need to consider. Join us as we explore the latest evidence and practical approaches to optimising ventilatory support in critically ill patients.

Sepsis care is evolving fast. Are you keeping up? Don’t miss this podcast episode, where we explore the latest clinical trials reshaping antibiotic therapy for severe infections, from optimised treatment durations to precision-driven de-escalation strategies. What does this new evidence mean for your day-to-day decisions in the ICU?

We then turn to one of the most exciting frontiers in intensive care: biomarkers, and how they are transforming the way clinicians diagnose, monitor, and guide therapy in sepsis.

Tune in to gain key insights and practical knowledge to help you bring the science of today directly to the bedside.