Australian scientists have developed a drug that may stop people from dying of septic shock after surgery preventing kidney failure brought on by post-operative complications.
Septic shock – an infection that can spark multiple organ failure – is the most common cause of death in intensive care units.
Dr Clive May of Melbourne’s Howard Florey Institute said kidney failure was the most deadly side effect but treatments were inadequate.
“When you get a severe infection, this causes blood pressure to drop very low and then leads to failure of the vital organs in your body,” Dr May said.
“Once the kidney in particular fails, then your body isn’t able to excrete all the toxins in the body … and the mortality rate rises.”
Late last year researchers began human trials with one so far unnamed drug, giving it to a handful of shock patients with deteriorating renal function. “Results from the first patient are very encouraging … and we’re obviously hoping this will be an important advance,” Dr May said.