Associate Professor Naomi Hammond
Large grant to reduce the devastating impact of septic shock The district’s Executive Director of Research Associate Professor Naomi Hammond will lead a first-of-its-kind study investigating a combination steroid therapy to reduce deaths and improve recovery following septic shock. Close to $5 million has been awarded to the study through the Federal Government’s Clinical Trials Activity program. Dubbed FINESSE, the clinical trial will explore the impact of fludrocortisone on its own and combined with hydrocortisone on critically ill patients with septic shock. A/Professor Hammond said sepsis is a global public health challenge which claims 11 million lives a year, including around 9,000 people in Australia alone. “Sepsis research has been characterised by many failed trials, with over 30 per cent of people losing their lives to the condition over the last 10 years,” she said. “This mortality rate remains unacceptably high, demonstrating the need for further research.” Some studies suggest combining hydrocortisone with fludrocortisone can reduce the risk of death, however, without substantial evidence, many doctors are unsure about its use and proper dosage. “The use of steroids has been controversial for over 70 years,” she said. “Our study however, has the potential to reduce death and long-term disability. “By answering the lingering question of whether fludrocortisone and hydrocortisone are effective, we could make a huge impact globally on patient survival, recovery and the economic burden.” These medications are both low-cost, widely available medicines. Improving recovery time by just one day for 55,000 patients in Australia would save $122 million a year in healthcare costs. The trial will be supported by RNSH’s Intensive Care Unit clinicians A/Professor Anthony Delaney, Dr Chris Anderson, Dr Lachlan Donaldson and Frances Bass. Key collaborators will include The George Institute of Global Health and Sepsis Australia.
NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 7| 02 MAY 2025
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