Martin A. Croce, MD, professor of Surgery at UTHSC is the recipient of a $225,000 research grant from the National Trauma Institute (NTI). Dr. Croce’s study is one of seven awarded grants this month by NTI.
Martin A. Croce, MD, professor of Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is the recipient of a $225,000 research grant from the National Trauma Institute (NTI). Dr. Croce’s study is one of seven awarded grants this month by NTI, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding trauma research in the United States.
Dr. Croce’s study will evaluate a recommended bundle of care maneuvers designed to help prevent ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in injured patients. Approximately 20 percent of those who develop VAP die, and there is little evidence showing that the use of these “care bundles” reduces the occurrence of VAP. The prospective observational study will examine data from six institutions both before and after bundle implementation to determine which factors affect the incidence of VAP.
In addition to his academic role, Dr. Croce serves as chief of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care and medical director for the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center in the Regional Medical Center at Memphis (The MED). UT Health Science Center physicians staff and fully operate the Presley facility, a Level 1 Trauma Center that annually treats about 5,000 cases of penetrating injuries and blunt trauma. UTHSC trauma specialists are among the leading trauma physicians in the country in generating research that changes entire patterns of care.
“Ventilator associated pneumonia is a life-threatening problem for trauma patients. Prevention is an important way to improve the outcome of trauma patients, but the methods for VAP prevention are not well studied,” Dr. Croce said. “We hope to identify strategies that are effective for VAP prevention. We are especially grateful to the NTI for recognizing the impact of VAP on patient outcome and allowing us to learn more about optimal interventions to prevent VAP in seriously injured patients.”
NTI is committed to facilitating translational research