Research Portfolio

Improving the care of skin infections in the Torres Straits

This research project is looking at cellulitis in the Torres Straits. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin that requires antibiotics. People with cellulitis usually have an area of red and hot skin and sometimes can have fevers and become really unwell. Germs called Staphylococus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes typically cause cellulitis. It potentially can cause serious infections and are a common presentation to emergency departments and admission to hospital. In a tropical environment such as the Torres Strait cellulitis is extremely common and contributes to a significant burden on the healthcare system. Often patients present to health care…

Principal Investigator: Dr Allison Hempenstall
Amount Awarded: $35,329
Institution: Thursday Island Hospital

Can children be sedated effectively with only one needle?

Procedural sedation in emergency departments is performed on a daily basis. The current management plan arguably inflicts unnecessary pain and distress on children. This open label, multicenter, randomised control trial is investigating whether paediatric procedural sedation can be achieved with just one needle. The research team’s focus is the on determining the best outcome for the child in procedural sedation, prioritising psychological as well as medical consequences.

Principal Investigator: Dr Megan King
Amount Awarded: $60,056
Institution: Gold Coast University Hospital

Early resuscitation in paediatric sepsis

Sepsis is a leading cause of death and disability in children, globally accounting for more than one million childhood deaths per year. Recommended sepsis treatment currently consists of intravenous antibiotics and aggressive fluid boluses followed by inotropes and consideration for intravenous steroids. However, the evidence for interventions other than antibiotics is limited and aggressive fluid administration may be associated with harm. Therefore, fluid-sparing algorithms using early inotropes to treat shock have been proposed. Another strategy to hasten shock resolution consists in intravenous steroids, alone or in combination with thiamine and vitamin C, postulated to support metabolic dysfunction in recent studies.…

Principal Investigator: Dr Megan King
Amount Awarded: $99,975
Institution: Gold Coast University Hospital

Fluid resuscitation in emergency patients with sepsis and hypotension (ARISE Fluids)

The question of fluid volume in resuscitation has been identified as the top priority in sepsis research by emergency physicians in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Guidelines and sepsis pathways recommend an initial intravenous (IV) fluid bolus of 30ml/kg isotonic crystalloid for patients with sepsis and hypotension. However, there is a lack of evidence from clinical trials to support this strategy. Both observational data as well as randomised studies suggest there may be harm associated with injudicious use of fluids in sepsis. Since there is equipoise regarding a more liberal or restricted fluid volume resuscitation as first line…

Principal Investigator: Prof Gerben Keijzers
Amount Awarded: $96,018
Institution: Gold Coast University Hospital

Capacity Building Grant – third year: Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Emergency and Trauma Centre (E&TC) is committed to research as a way to improve both patient outcomes and the delivery of emergency care services. With the support of competitive grants from funding bodies, the E&TC has rapidly established a reputation for high quality, medically-oriented clinical and health services research. Our capacity and support for such work has resulted in international collaborations, publications in leading journals and translation of findings into clinical practice with tangible benefits to both patients and health services. Despite these successes, several years ago we recognised that there were still…

Principal Investigator: Prof Louise Cullen
Amount Awarded: $70,000
Institution: Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital