I will determine the efficacy and safety of crystalloid resuscitation fluids in conventional models of care. This is a fundamental and unresolved question in Intensive Care Medicine and will have an impact on clinical practice worldwide. I will also consolidate and enhance a series of projects to provide the next generation of clinician-researchers with high-quality research opportunities. These include projects in sepsis, traumatic brain injury, and endocrine function in critical illness.
Despite advances in medical management, critical care clinicians continue to search for procedures that will improve outcomes in critically ill patients with haemorrhagic shock (a life-threatening fall in blood pressure). Shock is a consequence of an active process triggered by the brain . The proposed research aims to elucidate the precise sequence of brain events that initiate and maintain shock. We will also evaluate the effects of interventions (designed to ameliorate or reverse shock) on th ....Despite advances in medical management, critical care clinicians continue to search for procedures that will improve outcomes in critically ill patients with haemorrhagic shock (a life-threatening fall in blood pressure). Shock is a consequence of an active process triggered by the brain . The proposed research aims to elucidate the precise sequence of brain events that initiate and maintain shock. We will also evaluate the effects of interventions (designed to ameliorate or reverse shock) on the brain events that drive the shock response. The results of this research will offer, for the first time, a rational basis for devising new methods to reverse or ameliorate shock and potentially improve clinical outcomesRead moreRead less
Sepsis is a major cause of hospitalization and ICU admission in Australia population corresponding to more than 15700 new cases each year. Every year more than 3000 people die from sepsis in Australia which is greater than the annual national road toll and breast, prostate or colorectal cancer. The research outlined in this proposal to study the effect of steroids and vitamin D to improve patient’s recovery from sepsis and also understand the genetic basis behind their ability to survive sepsis.
Therapeutic Potential Of Inhibiting Eph/ephrin Signalling To Repair The Vascular Endothelium In Septic Shock
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$664,734.00
Summary
Septic shock is a life-threatening condition usually caused by bacterial infection in the bloodstream. More than 5000 people, including 500 children, die from sepsis each year in Australia. Worldwide, it is the most significant cause of death in children. Sepsis is associated with leakage of fluid and proteins through the cells lining the blood vessels. This project will develop and test a novel treatment for sepsis which focuses on reducing this leakage by blocking the Eph/ephrin proteins.
Gene Expression Profiling In Critically Ill Patients With Septic Shock: The ADRENAL-GEPS Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,304.00
Summary
Sepsis refers to a whole body inflammation caused by severe infection. Approximately one in three adults admitted with septic shock die within 28 days and it is unclear whether treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs is beneficial in terms of patient survival. The aim of this study is to develop a clinical test based on gene activity that can be used to predict patient survival and also determine what the best treatment might be for individual patients.