Research Grants 2012

Three EACTA grants were given this year (seven applications were recieved):

I. Maria Fedosova, medical student, Department of Anaesthesia, Skejby Hospital, Denmark (Supervisor: Carl-Johan Jacobsen, MD, Consultant)
Title: Investigation of the cardio protective effects of transcutaneous muscle stimulation in clinical cases requiring coronary bypass

In a controlled, randomized clinical trial of 50 patients scheduled for coronary bypass surgery (CABG) with or without simultaneous aortic valve replacement the cardio-protective effect of transcutaneous muscle stimulation is studied. The analysis of the effect of electrical muscle stimulation is based on: 1) measurement of the cardiac markers TnT and CK-MB before and after surgery; 2) measurements of interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and TNF-alpha before and after stimulation and surgery; 3) measurements of haemodynamic parameters such as pulse, blood pressure, mixed venous and arterial saturation, and cardiac output; and 4) delayed complications such postoperative myocardial infarction, stroke, postoperative dialysis and death.

Partly funding: EACTA grant 9.667 Euro


II. Hung Matthew, MD, Consultant, Department of Anaesthesia, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Title: A prospective observational study to investigate the aetiology of preoperative anaemia in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery

In a prospective observational study of 200 consecutive elective cardiac surgical patients with preoperative anaemia, as defined by the World Health Organization criteria as haemoglobin values of less than 13 g/dL for men and 12 g/dL for women, the primary aim is to investigate the aetiology of preoperative anaemia, and the secondary aim is to investigate the relative frequency and prognostic implication of the types of anaemia, and the validity of the blood based tests to accurately differentiate them.

Partly funding: EACTA grant 10.000 Euro


III. Sibtain Anwar, MD, Research fellow, Pain and Anaesthesia Research Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, United Kingdom
Title: Pain outcomes after cardiac anaesthesia and surgery

In a randomized, controlled, double blind study of 150 patients undergoing first time sternotomy the aim is to identify predictors of chronic pain after cardiac surgery and to evaluate potential methods of preventing chronic post sternotomy pain. The primary objective is to assess whether the use of a preemptive analgesic regime reduces the incidence of chronic post sternotomy pain at three months. The secondary objectives is to assess the predictability of pain after cardiac surgery using QST, and to assess the effect of preemptive analgesia on acute pain and analgesic requirements as well as recovery, length of hospital stay, quality of life and survival outcomes.

Partly funding: EACTA grant 10.000 Euro