Perioperative Administration Of Dexamethasone And Infection- The PADDI Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,832,815.00
Summary
The PADDI Trial is a large (8,800 patients) international, multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority safety and effectiveness study that will run for five years. It will examine the benefits and complications of administering 8mg of a steroid drug (dexamethasone) to adult patients undergoing non-urgent surgical procedures who receive general anaesthesia. The main outcome is surgical site infection 30 days after surgery. The influence of diabetes will also be investigated.
‘Granny was never the same after her operation’ is a strong public perception. These reports of persistent memory and concentration loss following surgery are now supported by a body of scientific research recording an incidence of ‘postoperative cognitive decline’ (POCD) as high as 75% in cardiac surgery patients. At present the cause is unknown but recently anaesthesia has been implicated. Our research team will investigate these claims.