Findings from a Gold Coast Health driven investigation into the use of intravenous fluids in sepsis management in emergency patients will be used as the foundation for a larger, $2.33M randomised controlled trial.
Sepsis, although not very common, is a serious condition where infection leads to organ dysfunction and possibly death.
The planned ARISE:Fluids study will explore liberal versus restricted fluid management in patients with septic shock after a large study led by principal investigator Professor Gerben Keijzers showed that there was large variation in how much fluid patients were given.
¡°The routine treatment was to give septic patients lots of fluids in the emergency department setting but over time observational data and randomised studies suggest that might be harmful,¡± Prof Keijzers said.
¡°So we did a small pilot study first, and then coordinated a larger study based at Gold Coast University Hospital involving 70 other hospitals in what was a huge collaborative effort between researchers and emergency physicians.¡±
Prof Keijzers said more than $2 million dollars from The Medical Research Future Fund would be used to do provide a definitive answer on what approach is best for patients with septic shock when the study kicks off in early 2021.
¡°The next phase is the most exciting and will be co-led by intensive care specialist Professor Sandra Peake, from Adelaide and emergency medicine specialist Stephen McDonald from Perth,¡± he said.
¡°The study will aim to determine if restricted IV fluids and earlier introduction of blood pressure medication, compared to usual-care IV fluid with later blood pressure medication improves outcomes for patients with septic shock presenting to emergency departments in Australia and New Zealand.
¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to the next stage, and I¡¯m proud that the research outcomes were chosen in consultation with community members who have been impacted by this devastating condition.¡±
Gerben Keijzers is an adjunct professor of Emergency Medicine and is a member of the Gold Coast Health Emergency Department Collaborative Research Group.