Brian H. Cuthbertson

Biography

Dr. Cuthbertson is the international principal investigator for the SuDDICU (selective decontamination of the digestive tract in the intensive care unit) collaboration. This is a collaboration of 64 of the world’s leading researchers trying to understand the role of selective decontamination of the digestive tract in the intensive care unit (ICU). Dr. Cuthbertson and his colleagues have completed the first two stages (meta-analysis and barriers to implementation) and are now funded in Australia and Canada—with two grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)—to conduct a large-cluster randomized controlled trial of selective decontamination of the digestive tract in ICU practice. This collaboration has already gained 12 peer reviewed publications. Dr. Cuthbertson is the international principal investigator for the CHORAL study collaboration. This is a collaboration of 15 interprofessional researchers from Toronto studying the de-implementation of oral chlorhexidine and implementation of high quality evidenced based care in the ICU using a novel, innovative and efficient concurrent stepped wedge trial design. Dr. Cuthbertson is the international principal investigator for the METS study (measurement of exercise tolerance before surgery) collaboration. This is a collaboration of 25 leading anaesthesia and critical care researchers from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand that is investigating the role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing and biomarkers in major elective surgery. The group has been awarded $1.4 million from the CIHR and other funders to undertake this study, which is soon to report.

Research Interest

Improving outcomes from critical illness and major surgery