Students

Name: Lucas Yang Xiaoxing

Post: Full-time Ph.D (3 years)

Enrolled: August 2008 -August 2011

Origin: Mainland China, Shandong Province

First Degree:

Master of Clinical Medicine Science(7-year Programe), Shandong University, PRC

Supervisor: Prof. Lester Critchley, Prof. Gavin Joynt;

Title of Thesis:

An animal model for studying the intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) with sepsis

Outline of the Thesis:

Background:

IAH affects many patients admitted to intensive care and commonly follows abdominal surgery or trauma.

The pathophysiologic effects of IAH have been extensively investigated and described. The significance of kidney and gut failure in such patients is only now being recognized.
The mortality is high and the accompanying sepsis worsens prognosis.
Vasopressor drugs, such as noradrenaline and vasopressin, are used to raise blood pressure and improve organ perfusion.
However, these drugs at high doses act as vasoconstrictors and have the potential to reduce organ perfusion.
To improve survival of the patients, treatment is needed to optimize the dose and maintain perfusion to the organs.
The aim of this project is to set up an animal model (anaesthetized pig) of IAH with sepsis and study the effects of vasopressor drugs on kidney and heart blood flow

Publications arising from his research work:

Yang XX, Critchley LAH, Rowlands DK, Zhu F, Huang L. "Systematic Error of Cardiac Output Measured by Bolus Thermodilution With a Pulmonary Artery Catheter Compared With That Measured by an Aortic Flow Probe in a Pig Model". Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia 2013;27 ;6;1133-1139.