Large grant to reduce the devastating impact of septic shock
Executive Director of Research Associate Professor Naomi Hammond
NSLHD Executive Director of Research, Associate Professor Naomi Hammond, is leading a first-of-its-kind study, assessing if a combination steroid therapy can reduce deaths and improve recovery following septic shock.
of whether fludrocortisone and hydrocortisone are effective, we could make a huge impact globally on patient survival, recovery and the economic burden.”
Close to $5 million was 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. Naomi said sepsis was a global public health challenge which claimed 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 [with sepsis] 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
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 is being supported by RNSH’s Intensive Care Unit clinicians Associate Professor Anthony Delaney, Dr Chris Anderson, Dr Lachlan Donaldson and Frances Bass. Key collaborators include The George Institute of Global Health and Sepsis Australia.
21 NSLHD 2025 Year in Review
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