News...
InFACT Global Website Launches
The possibility of developing more formal collaborations between
investigator-led clinical trials groups in critical care was
first explored
during the WFSICCM meeting in Buenos Aires in 2005. In 2008, a
meeting sponsored by the International Sepsis Forum, and held in Granada
Spain brought
together people from such clinical trials groups from around the
world, and it
was agreed to launch a formal collaboration under the name of
InFACT
(International Forum for Acute Care Trialists). Ongoing
discussions have been
held subsequently, with a plan to formally launch InFACT in
Brussels at the
March ISICEM meeting.
In the interim, the specter of the impending
new H1N1
pandemic led to a decision to proceed with a collaborative
response in advance
of the formal InFACT launch. Approximately 30 individuals from
around the
world participated in a conference call that launched the
initiative, and
established working groups in key areas – development of a
common database to
support an international registry, design of one or more RCTs,
selection of
agents for study in such trials, ethics and consent during a
pandemic, and
establishment of a common biobank.
The Significance Foundation
in the United
States has provided financial and IT support to develop
a website to
support the initiative. The web site is now launched and connects
to 5 ongoing
new H1N1 registries
WWW.InFACTglobal.org
The WHO predicts that as many as 2 billion
people may become
infected with the new H1N1 virus, a figure that translates into
a need for ICU
care for between 10 and 100 million people over the next two
years. Whether
this dire scenario will be realized is unknown, however the
community believes
that we must take the necessary steps to be prepared for this
possibility, and
in particular, to ensure that research to optimize the care of
infected
patients proceeds under what are likely to be very trying conditions.
We encourage physicians to join in this effort by
submitting data on the new H1N1 pandemic.
H1N1 (swine ‘flu) overview and resources
Introduction:
Infection with the H1N1 (swine ‘flu) virus has rapidly become a global
challenge. In the months since the first cases were identified, the pandemic
has spread worldwide.
H1N1 is of particular concern to intensivists. While severe disease seems to be
relatively uncommon in the cases reported so far (perhaps 0.5% of patients
require ICU admission), the sheer number of projected cases translates into an
enormous new demand on ICU resources. Moreover the epidemiologic characteristics
are somewhat unusual – those affected are typically young (around 40),
predominantly women (2/3 of cases), and obesity, pregnancy, and aboriginal race
appear to be risk factors. Patients with severe disease develop profound ARDS,
not uncommonly requiring interventions such as HFO and even ECMO, and prolonged
ventilatory support. There were no ventilators during the flu pandemic of 1918;
today many of those who died might be saved, but only if we can mobilize the
necessary ICU resources, and if we treat optimally.
The International Sepsis Forum (ISF) is providing you with a list of resources
that may be of use to you when searching for H1N1 information. ISF has no
control over the information provided on these sites or in these documents.
Resources:
WHO- http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/
CDC- www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-
http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/Default.aspx
UK Department of Health -
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Flu/Swineflu/index.htm
Global Diseases Health Map- http://healthmap.org/en
IDSA- http://www.idsociety.org/Content.aspx?id=14220
ESICM (Has H1N1 registry) - http://www.esicm.org/
Swine ‘flu critical advice from UK the Health Protection Agency (PDF document)
This page last updated
11/24/2009
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