Heartbeat: T&O research team are lead recruiter in clinical trial
May 16, 2019
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Kanthan Theivendran has welcomed the success of his team in recruiting patients to the ASCRIBED trial, for they are the lead recruiter out of 35 acute hospital trusts currently participating in the trial.
He explained: “The aim of the study is to evaluate whether hip fracture patients with dementia show elevated markers of systemic inflammation and of brain inflammation in comparison to stable patients with dementia and hip fracture patients without dementia, as measured by biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood.
“Dementia is an umbrella term used to refer to a wide range of symptoms linked to a reduction in memory and/or other thinking skills, which reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. Inflammation is generally a beneficial response to tissue damage or infection. However, when inflammation is extensive or prolonged this can damage healthy tissues and disrupt normal cellular function. Previous research suggests that acute illnesses or injury causing inflammation can accelerate dementia. However there are few studies which examine underlying mechanisms of how this happens in humans. This study aims to address the gap.”
Kanthan has been leading T&O research since he joined the #SWBHfamily in February 2016. He was extensively involved in research during training and published widely in national and international T&O journals.
He told Heartbeat: “Research provides the basis of evidence based medicine. It’s the ultimate tool to ensure we provide safe and effective care to our patients.
“I would encourage all colleagues to take part in research as it provides very important information on the efficacy and effectiveness of our treatments in healthcare. Moreover, it has the ability to help improve patient safety and the quality of care we provide.”
Head of Research and Development Clark Crawford agrees. He commented: “This is another great example of how an engaged specialty is offering research opportunities to patients while being recognised as an important partner for delivering nationally funded studies, which will ultimately lead to improved care.”
The ASCRIBED trial has been running for eight months within SWB, although it originally launched on 1 June 2017. Results are expected towards the end of 2020.