Dr Stephen Macdonald, who is an emergency physician, won a Global Sepsis Award. An initiative of the Global Sepsis Alliance, the awards recognise and honour excellent sepsis awareness and education initiatives.
Sepsis, which arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs, accounts for an estimated 6 million deaths worldwide, and 4000 deaths each year in Australia, as well as substantial morbidity.
Dr Macdonald, working out of the Royal Perth Hospital Centre for Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine in Perth, is looking into whether giving less fluid in early septic shock leads to fewer deaths and better patient outcomes.
“I am very honoured to receive this international award from the Global Sepsis Alliance,” Dr Macdonald said. “This recognises the research into sepsis we are undertaking in Emergency Medicine. This is very much team effort and includes a number of ACEM Fellows and collaborators from other disciplines across Australia and internationally.
“In Australia and New Zealand we are well placed to drive our own research agenda in Emergency Medicine. I believe that my receiving this award recognises that recruiting sepsis patients into clinical research studies at the earliest stage of their treatment in the emergency department is the key to delivering better patient outcomes. This is something which as a specialty and college we can all be proud of.”
The jury who awarded Dr Macdonald the prize comprised of internationally recognised experts in patient safety and patient advocacy. “The jury decided to award your efforts because we were absolutely impressed on what you and your colleagues have achieved in only a few years in Australia,” they said.
Dr Macdonald’s research was helped with a grant from the ACEM Foundation, the philanthropic arm of ACEM.
Dr Macdonald will be presented with the award in October at the International Sepsis Forum meeting in Thailand. He also collects $2500 prize money.
ACEM President Dr Simon Judkins said: “I congratulate Dr Macdonald. Research is one of the pillars of the ACEM Foundation and the organisation as a whole, as we believe in high quality data analysis, evaluation and evidence which supports our activities and, most importantly, improves outcomes for our patients.”
Read more about Dr Macdonald’s work and his reaction to winning the award on the ACEM website.
Background
ACEM is the peak body for peak body for emergency medicine in Australia and New Zealand, responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards. www.acem.org.au
Contact
Andre Khoury
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