Developing A New Treatment Method To Prevent Lymphopenia Associated With Sepsis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$435,939.00
Summary
Sepsis or blood poisoning kills more people than breast cancer, prostate cancer and HIV/AIDS combined. It has a huge economic burden, yet there is no proper diagnostics markers or treatment. One of the main reasons for sepsis-mediated mortality is lack of functioning immune system patients. We have been able to elucidate the molecular mechanism of sepsis-mediated immune cell death and through this project, we aim to develop diagnostics and therapy for treating sepsis-mediated immune suppression.
Can Pentoxifylline Improve Long-term Outcomes In Preterm Infants With Late-onset Sepsis Or Necrotizing Enterocolitis – A Pragmatic, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,901,130.00
Summary
Very preterm infants are at high risk of death and disability. Brain injury is often the result of inflammation caused by infection or bowel disease. To date, there is no treatment to reduce the harmful effects of inflammation. Pentoxifylline reduces inflammation and is a promising, safe and inexpensive treatment option for preterm infants. This study will determine whether Pentoxifylline in addition to antibiotics improves survival without disability in preterm infants.
Metabolomics Applied To Emerging Infectious Diseases: Advancing Biomarker Discovery And Characterising Host-pathogen Interaction In Melioidosis And Seps
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,158.00
Summary
Melioidosis is an emerging disease in Australia and South-East Asia due to its association with diabetes and changing climate. The current clinical methods often fail to save the life of melioidosis patients who develop sepsis. This study will search for melioidosis metabolite biomarkers that help in rapid diagnosis and in selecting adequate treatment which is essential to reduce the mortality. Future, similar studies on other sepsis infections could improve clinical sepsis management world wide ....Melioidosis is an emerging disease in Australia and South-East Asia due to its association with diabetes and changing climate. The current clinical methods often fail to save the life of melioidosis patients who develop sepsis. This study will search for melioidosis metabolite biomarkers that help in rapid diagnosis and in selecting adequate treatment which is essential to reduce the mortality. Future, similar studies on other sepsis infections could improve clinical sepsis management world wide.Read moreRead less
CAMERA: Combination Antibiotic Treatment For Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteraemia - A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,162,248.00
Summary
MRSA (golden staph) is resistant to the most useful class of antibiotics: beta-lactams. It is more difficult to treat than antibiotic-sensitive strains. Standard treatment for MRSA is vancomycin but it has high failure rates. Although MRSA is resistant to beta-lactams, lab studies show that they enhance vancomycin’s bacterial killing when used together. CAMERA2 is an RCT comparing vancomycin alone to combination therapy (vancomycin plus flucloxacillin) for adults with MRSA blood stream infection
Assessing The Benefit Of Low Dose Aspirin In The Prevention Of Severe Sepsis.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$391,880.00
Summary
Recent discoveries suggest that low doses of aspirin may save lives in patients with infection by limiting its severity. We will conduct a large-scale primary prevention study using daily low-dose aspirin to explore whether this widely used drug can safely prevent severe infection. This study is made possible by collaborative involvement in an existing Australian and USA funded study called ASPREE. Finding a treatment that helps prevent severe effects and outcomes of infection would be a major h ....Recent discoveries suggest that low doses of aspirin may save lives in patients with infection by limiting its severity. We will conduct a large-scale primary prevention study using daily low-dose aspirin to explore whether this widely used drug can safely prevent severe infection. This study is made possible by collaborative involvement in an existing Australian and USA funded study called ASPREE. Finding a treatment that helps prevent severe effects and outcomes of infection would be a major health advance.Read moreRead less
Optimisation Of Antimicrobial Therapy For Severe Bacterial Infections In Neonates And Young Children In Papua New Guinea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$943,865.00
Summary
This study aims to provide important information on the way young Papua New Guinean children with serious bacterial infections handle antibiotics, including newer agents that may be required if bacterial resistance is confirmed or increases. The data will be used to optimise treatment, thus reducing mortality and potential adverse drug effects, in PNG nad other tropical countries, and may have implications for the developed world as well.
Understanding Tissue Responses To Fluid Resuscitation And Blood Transfusion During Ovine Sepsis To Improve Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$980,810.00
Summary
Annually, sepsis affects up to 30 million patients, killing more patients than the combined totals of breast, prostate and lung cancer. Fluid resuscitation is a cornerstone of sepsis therapy, aimed at improving oxygen delivery to key organs. Data now indicates that blood and non-blood fluids may worsen mortality. This study will investigate the mechanism of sepsis and the effect of blood and non-blood fluids, to provide data to clinicians which may reduce the vast global burden of this disease.
The Splanchnic Anti-inflammatory Pathway: The Real Inflammatory Reflex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$613,466.00
Summary
The brain strongly influences immune function through a neural reflex: the inflammatory reflex. This reflex was recently revised and a new model for its efferent arm, in stark contrast with the existing version, was proposed: the motor pathway of this reflex is purely sympathetic and travels through the splanchnic nerves. The aim of this project is to define the peripheral and central neural pathway of this reflex. Future improvements in health and medical knowledge will follow
Innovative Dosing Approaches To Maximise Bacterial Killing And Prevent Resistance In Septic Critically Ill Patients.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$830,364.00
Summary
Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) frequently die from infection. It remains unknown how important antibiotic dose optimisation is for these patients and whether it may enable more effective treatment. In this project, we propose to compare existing approaches to antibiotic dosing in ICU patients with innovative alternatives. We will determine which dosing approach results in better antibacterial efficacy and reduce the development of antibiotic resistance.
BLING III: A Phase III Randomised Controlled Trial Of Continuous Beta-lactam Infusion Compared With Intermittent Beta-lactam Dosing In Critically Ill Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,269,943.00
Summary
This Australian-led trial of global significance will provide definitive clinical evidence of the optimal method for treating patients with severe sepsis using beta-lactam antibiotics. The trial will compare whether continuous infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics improves outcomes for patients compared with standard intermittent dosing. The potential significance of this trial is that it may lead to a simple and cost-effective intervention to improve survival for patients with severe infections.