Summer Scholarship - Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Summer Vacation Research Scholarship Lulu Liang ANZIC-RC Traumatic Brain Injuries POLAR POLAR BEAR Renal Substudy EPO ARISE

Oliviers Study Flail Chest Study Blood Transfusio n The Prophylactic hypOthermia trial to Lessen trAumatic bRain injury Randomised Controlled Trial (POLAR-RCT) To investigate whether prophylactic hypothermia has better neurological outcomes over standard

management (normothermia) 6 months post TBI Background Why is this being done? Affects 1000 Australians every year Health issues: o Disability and death

Economical issues Societal issues Previous studies o Lab and clinical trials show hypothermia to be neuroprotective o Previous methodological limitations

o First-of-its-kind in Australia Method Normotherm ia 512 Participan ts Hypothermi a Maintained at 375C Rapidly

cooled to 33C for 72 hours Gradually rewarmed End result: Neurological outcome at 6 months follow-up (GOSE) Results/Discussion What I observed over a 5 week period: 15 patients were followed

Mortality and survival rates at ICU-discharge were similar Challenges o Hypothermia: bleeding, infection, logistics with timing o Normothermia: infection Is hypothermia beneficial in TBI?

Conclusion Cannot be drawn as study still in progress. However, the results may potentially change clinical practice on the current management of TBI in an ICU setting. Reflections Video