Evaluative Clinical Sciences

Administrative Assistant: Carla Caporiccio
Phone: 416-480-6706
Email: carla.caporiccio@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• MD, 1986, Queen’s University, Canada
• FRCS(C), 1992, plastic surgery, University of Toronto, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Affiliate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Attending medical staff, Ross Tilley Burn Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Associate professor, department of surgery, University of Toronto

Research Foci:

• Clinical outcomes using high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in burn patients
• Clinical outcomes with acute fluid resuscitation of burn patients utilizing newer markers (base deficit and lactate) and alternative approaches (albumin, hypertonic saline)
• Use of intravenous immunoglobulin in toxic epidermal necrolysis
• Minimization of blood loss in burn surgery and restriction of blood transfusion in burn patients

Research Summary:

Dr. Cartotto's research is clinically based and focuses on outcomes in the area of burn critical care, specifically, acute burn resuscitation, alternative ventilation modalities (high-frequency oscillatory ventilation or HFOV) for burn patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and minimization of blood loss and transfusion in burn patients.

Future directions for research projects include prospective studies of HFOV in patients with smoke inhalation, and the use of hypertonic saline and albumin in burn resuscitation with a view toward their effects on base deficit and lactate. This would build upon his earlier work, which identified base deficit as an important marker of burn resuscitation adequacy.

Selected Publications:

See current list of publications at PubMed.

1. Melinyshyn A, Callum J, Jeschke M, Cartotto R. Albumin supplementation for hypoalbuminemia following burns: unnecessary and costly! J Burn Care Res. 2013 Jan–Feb;34(1):8–17.
2. Cartotto R, Callum J. A review of the use of human albumin in burn patients. J Burn Care Res. 2012 Nov–Dec;33(6):702–17.
3. Philp L, Umraw N, Cartotto R. Late outcomes following grafting of the severely burned face: a quality improvement initiative. Journal of Burn Care Res. 2012 Jan–Feb;33(1):46–56.
4. Cartotto R, Mayich M, Nickerson D, Gomez M. SCORTEN accurately predicts mortality among toxic epidermal necrolysis patients treated in a burn centre. J Burn Care Res. 2008 Jan–Feb;29(1):141–6.
5. Cartotto R, McGibney K, Smith T, Abadir A. Vasopressin for the septic burn patient. Burns. 2007 Jun;33(4):441–51.

Related News and Stories:

• Transfusion-related acute lung injuries identified in burn patients: New criteria help clinicians identify complications arising from blood transfusions (March 6, 2007)

Related Links:

• U of T profile, department of surgery, division of plastic and reconstructive surgery