Far
too many patients die following acute admission to an intensive care
department; in fact one-quarter of them. This figure must be reduced,
and therefore Innovation Fund Denmark has granted DKK 36 million for a
new Danish research centre to be located at Rigshospitalet as well as
the university hospitals in Aarhus and Aalborg.
In addition to
the Danish researchers, physicians are also participating from 30 Danish
and international intensive care departments, primarily from
Scandinavia and Australia.
- With a mortality rate of more than
25 percent, serious, critical diseases are the leading cause of death
globally, and we don't know the full effects, and the especially
side-effects, of many treatments. The great dilemma is that some of the
treatments can potentially be directly harmful to patients, said Prof.
Anders Perner from Rigshospitalet, who is to head the new research
centre.
Better documented treatment
Life-saving
treatment for critically ill patients takes place at intensive care
departments, but many treatments are not based on documented clinical
trials. The treatments are based on small-scale trials and physiological
knowledge and traditions. The task facing the new centre will be to
ensure better documented treatments for the critically ill.
In
many cases, these patients are suffering from failure of several organs -
usually lungs, circulation and kidneys. The condition arises due to
blood poisoning, extensive surgery, serious haemorrhage or trauma, and
every year the condition afflicts thousands of Danish patients, or
millions at global level.
Millions of patients will benefit
Research
at the new centre will start by focusing on these routine treatments:
oxygen (after asphyxia), anti-psychotics (as a relaxant for delirium)
and routine prevention of stomach ulcers caused by stress.
- The
results will help improve treatment and we hope they will reduce the
high mortality rates and thereby the overall burden of critical
diseases. This will benefit millions of patients, their families, and
societies throughout the world, said Anders Perner.
Innovation
Fund Denmark is contributing DKK 36 million. Contributions from
intensive care departments, from conducting trials, have been calculated
at DKK 12 mill.
Budget: DKK 51 mill.
Investment by Innovation Fund Denmark: DKK 36 mill.
Duration: six years
Contact information
- Professor Anders Perner, Consultant, Intensive Care Department, Rigshospitalet, +45 6044 5412, email anders.perner@regionh.dk
- The representative from Innovation Fund Denmark is the Chairman of the granting committee, Kim Krogsgaard, +45 20148384, email: kk@thebrainprize.org
- The head of press and media communication at Innovation Fund Denmark is Thomas Bjerre, +45 6190 5019, email: thomas.bjerre@innofond.dk