Upper Gastrointestinal Motor And Absorptive Function In Critically Ill Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$260,760.00
Summary
A major concern in critically ill patients is the provision of adequate nutrition to facilitate recovery from devastating metabolic insults. Abnormal contractions of the oesophagus, stomach and small intestine appear to be common in critically ill patients. These may prevent effective feeding of patients at a time when they are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and also result in major complications such as pneumonia, septicaemia and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. However little is known abou ....A major concern in critically ill patients is the provision of adequate nutrition to facilitate recovery from devastating metabolic insults. Abnormal contractions of the oesophagus, stomach and small intestine appear to be common in critically ill patients. These may prevent effective feeding of patients at a time when they are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and also result in major complications such as pneumonia, septicaemia and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. However little is known about the reasons underlying these dysfunctions. The applicants, with ongoing support from the NH and MRC have had a longstanding interest in motility disorders of the gut and have made important contributions to knowledge about both the causes and treatments of these conditions. These contributions have been underpinned by pioneering the development of new methodologies to examine gut function. In collaboration with the intensive care specialists in Adelaide, we now seek to apply this knowledge to evaluate gut function in patients in the Intensive Care Unit. The proposed studies will provide the most comprehensive studies to date of the gut function in critically ill patients and have important implications for treatment.Read moreRead less
Oesophageal, Gastric And Small Intestinal Motility In Critical Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,250.00
Summary
A major concern in critically ill patients is the provision of adequate nutrition to facilitate recovery from devastating insults. Abnormal contractions of the oesophagus, stomach and small intestine occur commonly in critically ill patients. These may prevent effective feeding of patients at a time when they are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and also result in major complications such as pneumonia, septicaemia and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The applicants, with the support of the NH ....A major concern in critically ill patients is the provision of adequate nutrition to facilitate recovery from devastating insults. Abnormal contractions of the oesophagus, stomach and small intestine occur commonly in critically ill patients. These may prevent effective feeding of patients at a time when they are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and also result in major complications such as pneumonia, septicaemia and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The applicants, with the support of the NH and MRC, have had a longstanding interest in motility disorders of the gut and have made important contributions to knowledge about both the causes and treatments of the disturbances that occur in the oesophaus, stomach and small intestine. In the previous grant (207753) these studies have provided the most comprehensive studies to date of the motor abnormalities associated with gut dysfunction in critical illness which have important implications for treatment. The applicants now seek to continue their work by investigating the mechanisms underlying these motor abnormalities and the impact of therapeutic strategies designed to enhance delivery of nutrition to critically ill patients.Read moreRead less
Separating The Adverse Neurodevelopmental Consequences Of Mechanical Ventilation And Postnatal Steroids In Preterm Lambs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,752,863.00
Summary
Extremely premature infants often develop severe breathing difficulties and need the help of a machine to breathe. Certain steroids help to mature the lung and allow the baby to breathe on his own without help. However, both steroids and long periods on breathing machines may interfere with normal brain development. This study will help doctors to weigh up the long-term risks and benefits of giving a baby steroids to help them breathe on their own versus continuing mechanical ventilation without ....Extremely premature infants often develop severe breathing difficulties and need the help of a machine to breathe. Certain steroids help to mature the lung and allow the baby to breathe on his own without help. However, both steroids and long periods on breathing machines may interfere with normal brain development. This study will help doctors to weigh up the long-term risks and benefits of giving a baby steroids to help them breathe on their own versus continuing mechanical ventilation without steroids.Read moreRead less