In a compelling new article co-authored by Tomas Drabek, MD, PhD, FASA, Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Scientist at the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, the anesthesiology community is being urged to refocus its efforts on trauma anesthesia research, an often overlooked but critical area of study. Published in the latest edition of the ASA Monitor, the article, entitled "We Can and Should Reinvigorate Trauma Anesthesia Research: A Call to Action," underscores the urgent need for progress in this field to improve outcomes for trauma patients.
"Anesthesiology research funding historically receives less than 1% of the NIH budget, which has been increasingly difficult to obtain," Dr. Drabek writes. "A brief look through the NIH RePORTER, using the search terms ‘trauma AND anesthesia,’ returns hundreds of entries. However, detailed surveys show that very few - if any - are relevant to the key questions we may want answers to."
Dr. Drabek advocates for a shift in focus, calling for the anesthesiology community to collaborate with established research platforms such as the Coalition for National Trauma Research. Such collaborations, he argues, would allow anesthesiologists to conduct both experimental and clinical studies aimed at improving trauma outcomes, particularly in the perioperative phase of care.
"We should get ourselves inspired for another ‘moonshot’: We choose to foster trauma anesthesia research in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Let’s start with small steps, striving for the giant leap for mankind at the end," he continues. "Our injured patients deserve it."
The article is an appeal to the anesthesiology community, urging a collective effort to explore and advance trauma anesthesia research beyond the operating room. Dr. Drabek’s call for action seeks to inspire innovation and collaboration, ultimately aiming to enhance the care and outcomes for trauma patients who need it the most.
Read the full article in ASA Monitor.