Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine

Clinical Division of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine 1

"The Clinical Division of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine 1 provides top-level medical care. At the same time, it is particularly important to us to emphasise the human quality of our actions and to treat our patients with attentiveness and respect."

Univ.-Prof. DDr. Philipp Metnitz, MBA

Our Team

PortrÀtbild von Philipp Metnitz
Head of Division

Univ.-Prof. DDr. Philipp Metnitz, MBA

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Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Auinger Daniel, Univ.Ass. Dr., FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Bader Mathias, Dr., AssArzt

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Böheim Angela Valentina, Dr., FÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Eichlseder Michael, Dr., AssArzt

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Feirer Linda, Dr., FÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

FĂŒzesi Agnes, Dr., OÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Gallent Helmut R., Dr., OA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Grabner Jana, Dr., AssÄrztin

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Hager Barbara, Dr., OÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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Hellweg Christoph, Univ.Ass. Dr., FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Heri Andreas, Dr., AssArzt

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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Heschl Stefan, Priv.Doz.Dr.Dr., Stv.Lt.

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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Honnef Gabriel, Univ.Ass.Dr.Dr., FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Humpel Benedikt, Dr., AssArzt

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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Jelica-Ulz Andrea, Dr., AssÄrztin

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Kleindienst Ute, Dr., OÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Komann Christian, Dr., OA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Lichtenegger Julia, Dr., FÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Mager Monika, Dr., OÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

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Metnitz Philipp, Univ.Prof.Dr.Dr, MBA, KV

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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Pichler Alexander, Univ.Ass. Dr., FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Rath Friedrich, Dr., OA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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Rief Martin, Univ.Ass.PD DDr, FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Sankin Corinna, Dr., OÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Schweiger Niklas, Dr., FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Smech Christoph, Ing.Dr., AssArzt

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Stanzenberger Hanne, Dr., FÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Überwimmer Michaela Elisabeth, Dr., AssÄrztin

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Vittinghoff Maria, Dr., OÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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West David, Univ.Ass. Dr., FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

Winter Stephanie, Dr., FÄ

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

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Zoidl Philipp, Univ.Ass. Dr., FA

Hospital LKH Univ.-Klinikum Graz, Klin.Abt.f.AnÀsth.u.Intensivmed.1

Location Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz

GrĂ¶ĂŸ Claudia, Mag.

Welcome!

Our division provides anesthesiology services to large parts of the University Hospital Graz. Each year, we oversee more than 35,000 surgeries and procedures. To prepare for anesthesia, preoperative evaluations are conducted in our anesthesia outpatient clinic.

Postoperatively, our patients are cared for in the recovery rooms adjacent to the surgical and interventional units. Patients requiring more intensive postoperative care are admitted to one of the intensive care units we manage. At the anesthesiological ICU and the jointly operated surgical ICUs, our staff treats more than 2,000 patients annually.

Our Services

Our department provides care in the following clinical areas:

Outpatient Clinics

The preoperative outpatient clinic is an essential part of the overall surgical care process. During the pre-anaesthetic assessment, each patient's medical status is evaluated according to current scientific standards. This allows us to identify the most appropriate anaesthetic technique based on individual risk factors. As such, the pre-anaesthetic assessment plays a key role in ensuring patient safety.

Please remember to bring all relevant medical records and test results to your appointment. 
Appointments are usually arranged directly through the surgical outpatient clinic that referred you.

If you have questions regarding your appointment or need to reschedule, please contact our administrative desk.

We’re here for you

Auenbruggerplatz 29 / Wing B / 1st Floor

+43 316 385-30776

Clinic hours:
Mon–Fri: 07:00–15:00

Surgical Divisions

In Central Operating Area A/C, we care for patients from the Division of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, the Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, as well as the Division of Transplant Surgery.

To ensure the highest standard of care for our patients, we use a wide range of anaesthetic techniques. In addition to general anaesthesia, we routinely apply ultrasound-guided nerve blocks, neuraxial techniques (such as spinal and epidural anaesthesia), and combined methods. Depth of anaesthesia monitoring and neuromuscular monitoring are integral parts of our daily practice to ensure optimal anaesthetic management and the highest level of patient safety.

A recovery room with seven beds is available 24/7 to provide continuous postoperative care following anaesthesia or surgery.

Our team provides anaesthesia services in the day clinic, dermatology, brachytherapy, interventional radiology, and endoscopy units of the departments of General Surgery, Gastroenterology, and Pulmonology.

Anaesthesia in external units is used for certain imaging procedures—such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—and for invasive procedures like gastroscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, and ERCP. The goal is to ensure patients remain pain-free and comfortable throughout the procedure. In many cases, anaesthesia is administered as conscious sedation (also known as procedural sedation), which significantly reduces pain and induces a light sleep-like state while patients remain responsive to verbal stimuli. For more complex procedures or highly anxious patients, general anaesthesia may be required.

Our experienced team of anaesthesiologists tailors each treatment to the individual needs of the patient while adhering to the highest safety standards. This ensures that radiological examinations and interventional procedures are carried out in a calm and controlled environment.

We are happy to provide further information or personal consultation upon request.

After your surgery, you will spend some time in the recovery room where your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, ECG, etc.) will be closely monitored until you are ready to be transferred to your hospital room. Careful observation by specially trained anaesthesia nurses and an anaesthesiologist is an essential part of the surgical process and ensures we have a clear picture of your condition.

This allows us to respond quickly in the event of pain or nausea. Recovery room care is not limited to patients who have undergone general anaesthesia—patients who have received regional anaesthesia also require a period of rest and monitoring. The length of stay in the recovery room varies from patient to patient but typically lasts between two and four hours. If circumstances permit, a close relative or companion may be allowed a brief visit during your recovery.

A small organ requires a compact yet highly experienced anaesthesia team.

At the Department of Ophthalmology, around 4,000 patients per year—ranging in age from infancy to over 100 years—receive anaesthetic care in two dedicated operating rooms. Only about 10% of these procedures are performed under general anaesthesia. These typically involve infants with congenital eye disorders, children and adults with strabismus, eye injuries, tumours, lacrimal duct stenosis, enucleation, corneal transplantation, and similar conditions.

For the majority of patients, local anaesthesia is administered by the surgeon. Depending on the specific case and the patient’s individual needs, the anaesthesia team may provide:

– Stand-by monitoring (cardiovascular and respiratory supervision only),

– Anxiolysis (mild sedation to reduce anxiety), or

– Conscious sedation (a monitored twilight sleep with maintained spontaneous breathing).

Our primary role is perioperative management in patients with underlying medical conditions, dementia, panic attacks, claustrophobia, special needs, or anatomically or functionally complex eyes.

With respectful and compassionate care, we support our predominantly day-case patients from admission through our in-house preoperative nursing unit (PNU), into the operating room, and all the way to recovery in the dedicated ophthalmology recovery area.

Pre-Anaesthetic Assessment

In most cases, pre-anaesthetic assessments are scheduled several weeks in advance of the planned surgery. This allows sufficient time to arrange any additional diagnostic tests if necessary. 
In addition, we offer women from the 35th week of pregnancy who plan to give birth at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Graz the opportunity to receive information and counselling on epidural anaesthesia ("epidural") for labour and delivery. These consultations are available on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
We encourage you to take advantage of this offer well before your due date.

Obstetric Anaesthesia

In the delivery suite, we support around 3,500 births annually, providing anaesthesia for caesarean sections and pain management during labour (epidural anaesthesia).

For caesarean deliveries, we routinely use spinal anaesthesia. In this procedure, a local anaesthetic is injected into the lumbar spine, resulting in temporary numbness of the lower half of the body. This allows the mother to remain awake and experience a pain-free birth.

For vaginal births, we offer epidural anaesthesia as an effective method of pain relief. A very thin catheter is placed near the nerves exiting the spinal cord, through which local anaesthetic is administered. This greatly reduces labour pain while preserving full mobility. We also perform anaesthesia for minor obstetric procedures carried out in the delivery room.

As mentioned above, from the 35th week of pregnancy, women planning to give birth at our clinic are welcome to attend weekday consultations from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to receive detailed information about epidural anaesthesia.

Please make use of this opportunity in good time before your delivery.

Gynaecological Anaesthesia

At the Department of Gynaecology, we perform approximately 2,500 anaesthetic procedures per year across the full spectrum of gynaecological surgery—from minor outpatient procedures to complex tumour operations. Smaller procedures are usually carried out on a day-case basis, allowing patients to return home the same day.

State-of-the-art Infrastructure

Anaesthetic care in this department is provided in a modern facility featuring advanced infrastructure, including four operating rooms and a post-anaesthesia recovery room. At full capacity, approximately 3,300 anaesthetic procedures are performed annually—around one-quarter of them in children.

Airway-Related Procedures

Our services cover a wide patient spectrum—from infants to elderly patients with multiple comorbidities. Thanks to our extensive experience and dedicated facilities, we offer the full range of anaesthetic support for elective procedures involving the neck, larynx, upper airway structures including the trachea, nasal cavity and sinuses, skull base, and auditory system, including cochlear implant placement. We also conduct hearing assessments under general anaesthesia in infants and toddlers.

Tumour Surgery and Airway Emergencies

Our responsibilities include anaesthesia management for complex tumour surgery with reconstructive techniques, as well as emergency procedures such as postoperative or tumour-related bleeding, tracheotomy, abscess drainage, and foreign body removal.

Comprehensive Anaesthetic Expertise

We employ a wide range of advanced anaesthetic techniques, including difficult airway management, specialised anaesthesia for laser resection of airway lesions, and jet ventilation.

The scope of anaesthetic care in oral and maxillofacial surgery ranges from dental procedures under general anaesthesia and emergency trauma care to orthognathic surgery and extensive tumour resections. We care for patients of almost all age groups, from children to adults.

Treating patients with special needs is both a meaningful and responsible task for the anaesthesia team. These patients often require individualised management, as they tend to perceive oral surgery and anaesthesia more intensely. This calls for a sensitive, highly personalised approach supported by empathy and specialised expertise.

Maxillofacial surgery frequently places high professional demands on the anaesthesiologist, especially due to the increased likelihood of encountering a difficult airway. Such challenges are common in orthognathic procedures, facial trauma, space-occupying infections or abscesses, and head and neck tumour surgery. Managing the difficult airway is considered one of the most advanced skills in anaesthesia. Techniques such as awake bronchoscopic intubation, video laryngoscopy, and, if necessary, surgical airway access (e.g., tracheostomy or cricothyrotomy) are essential tools in these settings.

“Children are not just small adults”—this principle holds especially true when it comes to anaesthetic care for paediatric patients. At the University Hospital Graz, we provide anaesthesia services for patients of all paediatric age groups, from extremely premature infants weighing less than one kilogram to adolescents up to 18 years of age. To meet the unique challenges of paediatric anaesthesia and offer the best possible care to our young patients, our department provides round-the-clock coverage with staff members who have specialised expertise in paediatric anaesthesia. In addition to administering anaesthesia in the five operating rooms of the interdisciplinary paediatric surgery centre, our team also supports children undergoing diagnostic procedures (e.g. gastroscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy) and imaging studies (e.g. MRI, CT). As a certified supra-regional trauma centre, we also provide anaesthetic care for critically injured children and adolescents in the paediatric trauma bay. When necessary, our paediatric anaesthesia team also attends to patients in decentralised areas of the hospital.

We use the full range of modern anaesthetic techniques, including general anaesthesia, sedation, neuraxial blocks, and ultrasound-guided peripheral regional anaesthesia, with catheter-based techniques when appropriate. This allows us to tailor the anaesthetic plan to each patient and to all surgical disciplines and procedures—including robot-assisted surgeries.

To ensure the most appropriate anaesthetic approach and to offer detailed explanations to both patients and their families, a pre-anaesthetic consultation (PNU) is conducted in a dedicated outpatient clinic.

Surgery on the Nervous System

The neurosurgical unit includes three operating rooms located in Operating Centre D, where the entire spectrum of neurosurgical procedures is performed. These include brain and spinal cord tumours, cerebrovascular disorders, spinal diseases, paediatric neurosurgery, functional neurosurgery, traumatic brain injury, and peripheral nerve surgery. An interdisciplinary recovery room is also part of this unit. In addition to routine postoperative monitoring, this area provides anaesthetic care for psychiatric patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Specialised Anaesthetic Techniques and Monitoring

State-of-the-art anaesthetic methods are used to ensure optimal unconsciousness and pain control during neurosurgical procedures, in accordance with the latest scientific standards.

A qualified anaesthesiologist is present throughout every procedure, continuously monitoring vital organ functions. In addition, specialised neuro-monitoring techniques are employed to assess depth of anaesthesia and brain function (Bispectral EEG analysis (BIS), Transcranial near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), Transcranial Doppler sonography).

In this specialty, we provide comprehensive perioperative anaesthetic care for the full range of orthopaedic diagnoses and surgical procedures involving the musculoskeletal system. Our services extend to adult patients, as well as children and adolescents with orthopaedic tumours, in close collaboration with the Paediatric Clinic.

Taking into account all relevant medical information, the wishes of the patient and the surgical team, we select the most appropriate and gentle anaesthetic technique for each procedure.

Orthopaedic anaesthesia offers a broad spectrum of options, including general, local, and regional anaesthesia. Many surgeries are performed using regional anaesthesia, sometimes in combination with general anaesthesia or sedation. Certain spinal procedures may require one-lung ventilation techniques.

Minimising blood loss during and after surgery is a key priority. This is achieved through blood pressure control, the selection of specific anaesthetic drugs and techniques, and the use of blood conservation methods, including cell salvage and re-infusion of drainage blood.

We place great emphasis on preventive pain management, starting with the early administration of anti-inflammatory medications and analgesics. Advanced regional anaesthesia techniques ensure that intraoperative pain control can be seamlessly continued well into the postoperative period. This is made possible through close collaboration with the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, our hospital’s Pain Management Unit, nursing staff, and physiotherapists.

In complex surgeries or in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, advanced vital sign monitoring may be required to ensure maximum patient safety. We strive to use our pharmacological, technical, and human resources efficiently and responsibly. Thanks to our strong team spirit and cooperative environment, we are able to offer our patients the support and care they need during their most vulnerable moments.

 

Trauma Surgery

In this specialty, comprehensive perioperative anaesthetic care is provided for trauma surgery patients, both for elective procedures and in acute emergency situations.

In elective procedures, we apply modern general anaesthesia techniques with a particular focus on regional anaesthesia. We offer the full range of conventional and advanced regional anaesthetic methods, including neuraxial techniques (such as spinal and epidural anaesthesia), plexus blocks for upper and lower limbs, and peripheral nerve blocks.

Elective procedures commonly involve major joint surgeries (hip and knee replacements) and spinal surgery. These require the use of advanced blood-conservation techniques, starting with autologous blood donation, followed by perioperative cell salvage (where blood lost during surgery is collected, filtered, washed, and reinfused), and extending to acute normovolaemic haemodilution (ANH)—a technique in which the patient donates their own blood immediately before surgery, often while already in the operating room, and receives it back directly after the procedure.

We maintain close interdisciplinary collaboration with the Pain Management Unit, which provides 24/7 care for continuous nerve blocks (via perineural catheters placed near the nerves responsible for pain transmission).

Two operating rooms are available for patients undergoing plastic surgery. The full range of plastic surgical procedures is performed, with a particular focus on severe burn treatment and reconstructive surgery.

From the anaesthesia perspective, all modern anaesthetic techniques are available. Many procedures are carried out under regional anaesthesia, with ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks being commonly used. For general anaesthesia, depth-of-anaesthesia monitoring and neuromuscular monitoring are routinely employed to ensure the highest level of patient safety.

After surgery, patients are closely monitored in a recovery room located directly adjacent to the operating rooms.

We provide anaesthetic care for three operating rooms, including one equipped for fluoroscopy, and a dedicated recovery room.

Each year, we anaesthetise patients for over 2,900 surgical procedures in this department. As many of our patients are older adults, careful preoperative planning is essential to help minimise hospital stays. Postoperative monitoring takes place in our department’s own recovery room.

Approximately 20% of procedures are performed under regional anaesthesia (spinal or epidural).
If you prefer regional anaesthesia, please inform your anaesthesiologist during the preoperative consultation.

A number of procedures can be performed on a day-case basis, allowing patients to return home the same day.

We additionally provide care for 


Intensive care units are centres of maximum medical support. Critically ill patients often require not only specialised medical and nursing expertise, but also advanced technical equipment for organ function support or replacement, along with complex monitoring and control systems to guide treatment decisions.

The Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine 1 manages two intensive care units—ICU 1 and ICU 2—with a total of 15 category III intensive care beds, representing the highest level of care available. Each year, more than 1,600 patients are treated here following severe trauma, major surgery, or burn injuries.

Additionally, in collaboration with our surgical colleagues, we provide intensive care for over 1,200 more patients each year in the ICU 2 and ICU 3 units of the Department of Surgery. A new focus area is the care of patients with severe burn injuries, delivered in close cooperation with the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

The responsibilities of an intensive care unit include the use of mechanical organ support systems, such as dialysis for kidney failure, extracorporeal lung support (e.g. ECMO or ILA) for severe pulmonary disease or inflammation, the management of systemic inflammatory and infectious conditions affecting multiple organ systems (sepsis), and the care of patients requiring anticoagulant therapy who simultaneously need urgent surgical intervention.

In a changing and aging society, the importance of a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to patient care continues to grow. The intensive care unit is a place of advanced therapeutic possibilities, which we implement in close collaboration with all involved healthcare professionals, always with the patient’s best interest at heart.

Emergency Response Vehicle (NEF)

The emergency response vehicle (NEF) operated by the University Hospital Graz is staffed by an interdisciplinary team of physicians, with anaesthesiologists covering approximately 50% of all shifts.

Due to Graz’s unique dual emergency physician system, the NEF is dispatched less frequently than the national average, but when it is, the need for on-site medical intervention is significantly higher. This means that the NEF Graz is deployed more selectively and efficiently.
Each year, the NEF completes around 1,800 missions.

Air Rescue Helicopter Christophorus 12

The Christophorus 12 emergency medical helicopter, based in Graz, is also predominantly staffed by anaesthesiologists from the University Hospital.

As the highest-level unit in the emergency care chain, air rescue presents an even greater medical challenge, requiring expertise equivalent to intensive care medicine.

Currently, the helicopter operates from 7:00 a.m. (6:00 a.m. during summer months) until dusk, performing over 1,200 missions per year.

The resuscitation room is a designated treatment area where anaesthesiologists serve as airway and circulation managers, and also act as the trauma team leader.

Our staff are specifically trained and prepared for this critical role through internationally recognised training programmes such as ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) and ETC (European Trauma Course). As part of a certified trauma centre, team members are continuously trained, assessed, and held to the highest standards of care. Each year, anaesthesiologists provide emergency care for approximately 140 severely injured patients in the resuscitation room.

Risk Management

Anaesthesia, intensive care, and emergency medicine are among the most complex areas of clinical practice. Due to the often serious pre-existing conditions patients present with, a wide range of clinical risks may arise during treatment. To address these risks, a comprehensive clinical risk management system has been implemented. This system involves not only the identification and assessment of potential risks in daily clinical practice, but also the planning and implementation of strategies to manage and mitigate these risks. A key element of effective risk management is its integration into the department’s culture. Embracing risk management as a shared mindset fosters an open and transparent approach to challenges of all kinds and supports continuous improvement in patient safety and care quality.

Quality Assurance

At the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine 1, we are committed to delivering the highest possible standard of care to all patients entrusted to us. This commitment spans all areas of our specialty—from pre-hospital emergency care and operative/interventional procedures to postoperative recovery and follow-up.

To achieve this, we actively engage in comprehensive quality management. Key clinical processes are systematically reviewed and—wherever possible—guided by standardised protocols.

We regularly collect and analyse quality indicators across critical areas of the department and compare our performance with that of other institutions (benchmarking). This not only ensures that we provide care at the highest quality level, but also supports our goal of continuous improvement.

Furthermore, as a university hospital, we are actively engaged in leading international research on quality in healthcare. Our Epidemiology & Outcomes research group is considered one of the most successful teams in the field of outcomes research in Europe.

In recent years, the group—working in collaboration with numerous national and international authors—has produced a series of important findings that shed light on the relationship between medical interventions and patient outcomes. These insights enable us to respond in a targeted and evidence-based manner, ultimately contributing to the continuous improvement of patient care.

Contact

Division of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine 1
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine
Auenbruggerplatz 5, 8036 Graz
Austria

+43 316 385-84909
andrea.berghofer@uniklinikum.kages.at

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