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Critical Care Medicine

Staff physicians

Brian H. Cuthbertson, MB ChB

Senior scientist

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre 
2075 Bayview Avenue, Room
Toronto, ON
M4N 3M5  

Phone: 416-480-6100 ext. 62895

Administrative Manager: Meredith Malloy
Phone:
416-480-6100 ext. 62895
Email: meredith.malloy@sunnybrook.ca

Clinical ProfileShow/hide details

Education:

  • Bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MB ChB), 1990, University of Aberdeen, U.K.
  • Fellowship, 1994, Royal College of Anaesthetists, U.K.
  • MD, 1997, University of Aberdeen, U.K.

Appointments and Affiliations:

  • Chief, department of critical care medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  • Senior scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
  • Faculty, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
  • Professor, department of Anesthesia, U of T
  • Honorary professor, University of Aberdeen, Scotland
  • Honorary professorial fellow, The George Institute for Global Health, Australia 

Research ProfileShow/hide details

Education:

  • Bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MB ChB), 1990, University of Aberdeen, U.K.
  • Fellowship, 1994, Royal College of Anaesthetists, U.K.
  • MD, 1997, University of Aberdeen, U.K.

Appointments and Affiliations:

  • Senior scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
  • Chief, department of critical care medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  • Faculty, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
  • Professor, department of anesthesia, U of T
  • Honorary professor, University of Aberdeen, Scotland
  • Honorary professorial fellow, The George Institute for Global Health, Australia

Research Focus:

  • Improving outcomes from critical illness and major surgery

Research Summary:

SuDDICU study (2009–present)

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.

CHORAL study (2016–present)

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.

METS study (2010–present)

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.


Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

  1. Young D, Harrison DA, Cuthbertson BH, Rowan K, TracMan Collaborators. Effect of early vs late tracheostomy placement on survival in patients receiving mechanical ventilation: the TracMan randomized trial. JAMA. 2013 May 22;309(20):2121–9.
  2. Daneman N, Sarwar S, Fowler RA, Cuthbertson BH, SuDDICU Canadian Study Group. Effect of selective decontamination on antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2013 Apr;13(4):328–41.
  3. Young D, Lamb SE, Shah S, MacKenzie I, Tunnicliffe W, Lall R, Rowan K, Cuthbertson BH, OSCAR Study Group. High-frequency oscillation for acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2013 Feb 28;368(9):806–13.
  4. Cuthbertson BH, Rattray J, Campbell MK, Gager M, Roughton S, Smith A, Hull A, PRaCTICaL study group. The PRaCTICaL study of nurse-led, intensive care follow-up programmes for improving long-term outcomes from critical illness: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2009 Oct 16;339:b3723. 
  5. Sprung CL, Annane D, Keh D, Moreno R, Singer M, Freivogel K, Weiss YG, Benbenishty J, Kalenka A, Forst H, Laterre PF, Reinhart K, Cuthbertson BH, Payen D, Briegel J, CORTICUS Study Group. Hydrocortisone therapy for patients with septic shock. N Engl J Med. 2008 Jan 10;358(2):111–24.

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