Acute Care Edinburgh

News from Acute Care Research Group

News and views from Acute Care Edinburgh

Intensive Care Sedation with dexmedetomidine, when and why?

Prof Yahya Shehabi – Monash University and University of NSW.

Research Preview 2023

This Winter Holiday ACE newsletter gives an exciting preview of some of the brilliant research/activities the ACE community will be conducting in 2023.

Welcoming Professor Manu Shankar-Hari to the ACE Community

Professor Manu Shankar-Hari
Professor Manu Shankar-Hari has recently joined the University of Edinburgh as the new Chair of Translational Critical Care Medicine and Honorary Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine.

Data Science Fellowships in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine

Congratulations to Mohamed Shoair and Josie Robertson who were recently awarded awarded Data Science Fellowships. The fellowships are funded by Edinburgh Anaesthesia Edinburgh Anaesthesia Research and Education and Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation.

The Long Covid Project

The Long Covid Project logo, three smart phones showing app
NHS Lothian and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) have partnered to launch a new Long Covid Project, Summer 2022. The project aims to improve the quality of life for those diagnosed with Long Covid by providing an enhanced pathway for those who have experienced a period under the care of Pulmonary Rehabilitation or General Practice.

Whole genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical Covid-19

A large international study has found that specific variations in DNA are associated with patients developing the most severe form of Covid-19.

TRAITS programme Professor Manu Shankar-Hari

Professor Manu Shankar-Hari
Professor Manu Shankar-Hari outlines the TRAITS programme.

Special Skills Year in Education

We are advertising an opportunity for ICM trainees to join the Edinburgh Critical Care Online team for a Special Skills Year in Education aligned with the FICM curriculum starting in academic year 2022/23. Further details below.

Professor Kenneth Baillie Receives Pride of Scotland Award

Professor Kenneth Baillie Receives Pride of Scotland Award
The ACE community are delighted to celebrate our friend and colleague, Kenny Baillie's success in being awarded a Pride of Scotland Special Recognition Award and becoming the new Professor of Experimental Medicine!

RECOVERY Trial Paper Wins BMJ's 2021 UK Research Paper of the Year Award

Recovery trial logo
A RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY) Collaborative Group paper has been announced as the 2021 winner of The British Medical Journal's prestigious UK Research Paper of the Year Award. This award recognises original UK research that has the potential to contribute significantly to improving health and healthcare.

Largest Intake of Clinicians as MSc in Critical Care Programme Enters Third Year

ward round
The online MSc in Critical Care is offered in partnership between the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and The University of Edinburgh. The programme has attracted doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals from all over the world this year and sees its largest intake to date.

Characteristics and risk of COVID-19-related death in fully vaccinated people in Scotland

Characteristics and risk of COVID-19-related death in fully vaccinated people in Scotland
Vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths.1, 2 COVID-19-related deaths in fully vaccinated individuals have, however, been reported. To inform public health strategy and vaccination policy, it is vital to characterise these post-vaccination COVID-19 fatalities.

Patients with Central Nervous System Tumours at Higher Risk of Dying from Cardiovascular Disease.

Patients with Central Nervous System Tumours at Higher Risk of Dying from Cardiovascular Disease
Incidence rates are increasing for CNS tumours and based on limited data, these patients may be at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

The Future of Clinical Trials: People, Project, Purpose, Place:

A Strategy to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Clinical Trials: Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, Professor of Clinical Neurology.

When is a Cohort Study Better than RCT? Benefits of Real World Data

Trials Methodology ESCP 2021, Ewen M Harrison, Professor of Surgery and Data Science Director Centre for Medical Informatics.

SHED - Acute Non-traumatic Headache

SHED logo, man holding head
A new study has begun collecting information on patients that present to the Emergency Department with non-traumatic, acute headaches that have maximal onset within 1 hour.

Professor James Dear– the new Co-Director of EMERGE

Emergency Medicine Research group Edinburgh logo
Professor James Dear is now one of the EMERGE co-directors. His main research objective improve the diagnosis and management of acute medical emergencies by understanding the role and clinical utility of circulating microRNAs.

SIGNET - Clinical Trials Unit - NHS Blood and Transplant

SIGNET logo
The SIGNET study is due to commence in September 2021 pending regulatory approvals.

Result Hip begins recruitment

Result Hip logo
The impact of REStrictive versUs LIberaL Transfusion strategy on cardiac injury and death in patients undergoing surgery for Hip Fracture (RESULT-Hip)

RESULT Hip

NIHR have agreed in principal to fund RESULT Hip which is a £2.3 M grant to conduct a clinical trial of blood transfusion strategy in people with hip fracture.

An Update on Covid-19 Studies: ISARIC4C, RECOVERY and GenOMICC - Dr Kenneth Baillie

Dr Kenny Baillie portrait
As part of the recent College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Town Hall meeting, Dr Kenneth Baillie gives an update on Covid-19 Studies: ISARIC4C, RECOVERY and GenOMICC.

MSc in Critical Care - Calling Potential Dissertation Supervisors

critical care staff discussion
The online MSc in Critical Care is offered in partnership between the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and The University of Edinburgh.

Vaccinations Reducing the Risk of Covid-19 Admissions to Scottish Hospitals

screen grab of lancet article
The study is the first to describe across an entire country the effect of the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs in the community on preventing severe illness resulting in hospitalisation.

Preventing Pesticide Suicide

Ban toxic pesticides text on image of a field
The Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention (CPSP), led by Professor Michael Eddleston, Personal Chair of Clinical Toxicology at the Centre for Cardiovascular Science has been refunded £5.2M for 3 years (starting June 2021) to work to prevent deaths from pesticide self-poisoning.

ABC Sepsis Trial

ABC Sepsis logo
The ABC Sepsis Trial begins recruitment this month (June 2021) at the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary.

NHS staff experiences of working in critical care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK

screen grab of bmj article
Dr Catherine Montgomery has led a study to understand the experiences of NHS staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and found that they shared a set of experiences which the authors have characterized as a 'community of fate'.

COVID-19 Critical Care online course: responding to the needs of clinical staff globally

nurses look at medical monitor
This video outlines the COVID-19 Critical Care: Understanding and Application course hosted on FutureLearn. With testimonials from a selection of its students.

RECOVERY Trial Update

Recovery trial logo
The RECOVERY trial has recruited 39,391 participants across the UK, with Scotland randomising 1985 patients across 21 sites the length and breadth of the country.

Supporting Recovery From Long COVID.

Judith Merriweather and Tailored Talks logo
Dr Judith Merriweather, a clinical academic dietitian and Critical Care Recovery Service Lead describes how creative collaborations are supporting patients who are recovering from Long COVID.

Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group report on COVID-19 March 2021

The Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group (SICSAG) is the national adult critical care audit and quality assurance programme.

Improving Bereavement Care After Critical Care.

Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care logo
A multidisciplinary team of ICU clinicians and bereavement experts are being led by Deputy Charge Nurse Janine Wilson as part of a £10,000 “Building on the Best” grant from the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care.

Professor Michael Eddleston: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Royal Society of Edinburgh logo
A huge congratulations to Professor Eddleston, Personal Chair in Clinical Toxicology, Centre for Cardiovascular Science who has joined the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) leading thinkers and practitioners from Scotland and beyond, whose work has a significant impact on the nation.

Reflections on Leading in a Crisis: A session with Professor Jason Leitch

Healthcare Improvement Scotland logo
Healthcare Improvement Scotland is currently hosting an exciting line up of monthly Webinar sessions presented by an exceptional global faculty.

Physical, cognitive and mental health impacts of COVID -19 following hospitalisation.

phosp-covid logo
A multi-centre prospective cohort study PHOSP-COVID Collaborative group.

Edinburgh Critical Care Research Group: Our Voices Amidst The Virus

Edinburgh Critical Care Research Group: Our Voices Amidst The Virus: diary room
Sarah Clark and Jo Singleton, critical care research nurses, have brilliantly captured the voices and experiences of their colleagues during the Covid-19 pandemic.

9 months of discovery: How we found out why people die from Covid-19

Dr Kenny Baillie portrait
Dr Kenneth Baillie, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh and Intensive Care Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Study shows that poverty is linked to higher risk of mortality from Covid-19 in Scotland.

Dr Nazir Lone
The study led by Dr Nazir Lone, found that of the 735 patients with Covid admitted to ICU, about a quarter were from the most deprived quintile compared with 13% from the least deprived quintile.