Welcome to the Joint APAGBI & SPA 2025 ASM Abstract Submission

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the 2025 Joint APAGBI & SPA Annual Scientific Meeting. This premier event is an opportunity to showcase excellence in paediatric anaesthesia, and we warmly invite submissions in one of four key areas:

•    Original Research: Original studies advancing knowledge in paediatric anaesthesia.
•    Quality Improvement (QI): Innovations and outcomes improving clinical care and safety.
•    Education and Training: Novel approaches and evaluations enhancing learning and practice.
•    Clinical Case Reports/Series: Unique or challenging cases with valuable clinical insights.
 

We are dedicated to presenting high-quality abstracts that reflect the diversity, innovation, and expertise within our field. 

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Instructions
Please ensure that you read the instructions set out below before submitting an abstract.  Abstracts must conform to the requirements below, in particularly the section under Abstract Formatting Guidelines. Guidance on writing a high quality abstract is available here.
 

Categories
You will need to select the most appropriate general topic category for your submission from this list below:

• Original Research - Studies advancing knowledge and understanding in paediatric anaesthesia.

• Quality Improvement (QI) - Projects enhancing clinical care, safety, and outcomes.

• Education and Training - Innovations and evaluations that improve learning and professional development.

• Clinical Case Reports/Series - Clinical case presentations highlighting unique or challenging scenarios.

 

Abstract Submitter (User)
Submission is through Oxford Abstracts. You will need create an account to submit your abstract. Once set up, you can submit numerous abstracts via your account.

It is the responsibility of the Abstract Submitter (User) to pass on any relevant information regarding the meeting to the other authors, and to ensure that all authors approve the submission and presentation. The Submitter will often also be the Presenting Author. Abstracts chosen for oral presentation will be published in the journal Pediatric Anesthesia. The email address of the Submitter will be included in the publication. Please inform the Events Team if you would like a different email address used for this purpose, after acceptance of oral presentation.   
 

Presenting Author
You will be asked to confirm the Presenting Author. All presentations (oral or poster) must be made by a listed author who has been directly involved in the project. All Presenting Authors must register to attend the ASM. Please note that to qualify for the trainee poster presentations the trainee must be listed as the first author and also be the Presenting Author. 
 

Disclosures
Funding sources or other acknowledgements should be declared, as should any conflict of interest, where prompted under “disclosures to declare”.
 

Abstract Formatting Guidelines
Abstracts must use the following outline (with the exception of case reports and submissions in the Quality Improvement category):
▪    Introduction and aims
▪    Methods
▪    Results
▪    Discussion and conclusion
 

For case reports ONLY use the following section headings:
▪    Description
▪    Discussion
▪    Acknowledgements
 

For quality improvement submissions ONLY use the following section headings:
▪    Background/context
▪    Problem
▪    Strategy for change
▪    Measure of improvement
▪    Lessons learnt
▪    Message for others
 

For all abstracts:

1. The maximum length of an abstract is 450 words; this count excludes the abstract title and references. No further additions can be made once the word limit has been reached.

2. A maximum of 4 references may be included, Vancouver style. i.e.

   • Citations to someone else's work in the text, indicated by the use of a number.

   • A sequentially numbered reference list at the end of the document providing full details of the corresponding in-text reference.

3. A single graphical image may be included if desired. This will not affect the word limit. Images included in the abstract should be simple, illustrative of the text and clear in meaning. Photographs, overly complex diagrams or images containing more than a minimal amount of text will be rejected.

 

Reproduction of Abstracts
By submitting an abstract you automatically give us permission to reproduce your submission in the Meeting materials – e.g. on the event website.  Abstracts accepted for oral presentation will be published in the journal Pediatric Anesthesia.
 

Judging Process 
All abstracts submitted will be peer reviewed and only submissions of high enough quality will be accepted.  Abstracts, considered to be of highest quality, will be accepted for oral presentation.  Details of prizes are given below.

Guidance on writing a high-quality abstract is available here.

Free Paper Oral Presentations
Approximately eight of the abstracts submitted for oral presentation will be selected by the judging panel for presentation during the meeting. Abstracts submitted for oral presentation but not accepted will be considered for poster presentation if this is indicated on the submission form.
 

Prizes
If the first author and presenter of an oral paper or poster is a Trainee, s/he may elect to be considered for the appropriate prize. If the trainee who did the work was subsequently appointed to a consultant post, they remain eligible for the trainee prize (see next section).

The prizes will be awarded based on the scientific merit and quality of the presentation by a panel of judges appointed by the Chair of the Scientific Committee.

Strict time limits will be applied for the oral presentations, with additional time allocated for questions from the judging panel. A list of the selected oral presentations will appear in the final programme once they have been scheduled.
 

Trainee Prize
The online system will ask you to indicate if you wish to be considered for the Trainee Prize Presentation (see below for 'Criteria for Trainee Status').
 

Criteria for Trainee Status

1. A Trainee is eligible if they are in professional training or studying for a higher degree on 28th February 2025, or had completed training or study no more than one year prior to this date.

2. This includes:

   • Nursing, allied health professional, or medical students in a university or recognised professional training post;

   • Students from science, medical, nursing or allied health professional backgrounds undertaking a higher degree (i.e. Masters, PhD or MD);

   • Graduates within a specialist training/board certification scheme.

3. A tick box is included on the submission form and trainees are required to complete this stating that the presenting author fulfils the above definition of a trainee.

4. Work done by consultants is encouraged but they are not eligible for any of the prizes.

 

Ethical Guidelines
Abstracts must conform to international ethical guidelines for human (https://www.who.int/ethics/research/en/) or animal (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/research-and-testing-using-animals) research and abstracts that do not conform will be rejected. Where relevant, details of Ethics Approvals must be listed in the Ethical Approval section of the on-line system.

Where information given is potentially identifiable to an individual patient or if any patient image (including radiographs) is included it must be clearly stated that consent was given.

Some types of work will not require ethical approval: for example, some QI projects, surveys or anonymous retrospective data collection. A clear statement of this should be made including any governance arrangements in place (such as ‘the project was registered with the hospitals audit department’). The authors should be prepared to justify this decision if requested. Guidance can be found at http://www.hra-decisiontools.org.uk/research. 
 

Acceptance of Abstracts
Following the submission deadline on 28th February 2025, each abstract will be assessed by adjudicators appointed by the Scientific Committee. Only those accepted will be invited to present or exhibit at the Meeting. You will receive notification confirming if your abstract has been accepted or declined 3-4 weeks after the deadline. Abstracts submitted after 23:00 on 28th February 2025 will not be considered or accepted.

Preparation and Display of Posters
On notification of acceptance of your poster, you will be sent details for formatting your poster. The poster should identify the title of the paper and name the authors and their affiliations across the top.  It need not include the allocated Poster Number. Drawings and charts should be kept simple.

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Deadlines and Notable Dates
6th December 2024:    Abstract site opens for Submissions
28th February, 2025:    Abstract submissions closes; 23:59 GMT 
21st March 2025:    Abstract submitters receive outcome of submission 

 

We look forward to receiving your submissions and showcasing your valuable contributions to the field of paediatric anaesthesia at this year’s conference.
 

Dr. Johnny Kenth
Chair, APAGBI Scientific Society
scicom@apagbi.org.uk
 

Dr. Phillip Arnold
Chair Emeritus, APAGBI Scientific Society