Understanding Chronic Critical Illness After Severe Injury or Infection
Immunological Endotyping of Chronic Critical Illness after Severe Trauma or Sepsis
This work aims to better understand why some patients stay very sick for a long time after severe injuries or infections like sepsis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144925 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
When people experience severe injuries or infections, their bodies can react strongly, sometimes leading to organ failure. While many now survive the initial crisis, some enter a state of chronic critical illness, meaning they stay in the intensive care unit for a long time with ongoing organ problems. These patients often face repeated infections, muscle weakness, and difficulty recovering physically. We believe a condition called Persistent Inflammation, Immunosuppression, and Catabolism (PICS) is a key reason for these long-term issues. This project seeks to identify specific immune patterns in PICS to help us understand this complex illness better.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who have experienced severe traumatic injury or sepsis and are experiencing a prolonged stay in the intensive care unit with ongoing organ dysfunction would be the focus of this research.
Not a fit: Patients who recover quickly from acute trauma or sepsis and do not develop chronic critical illness would likely not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to identify and treat patients at risk for or suffering from chronic critical illness, improving their long-term recovery and quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: While the concept of Persistent Inflammation, Immunosuppression, and Catabolism (PICS) is gaining recognition, this project proposes to define it as a unique immunological type, which is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brakenridge, Scott Charles — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Brakenridge, Scott Charles
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.