Journal of Clinical Trials
Open Access

Karen EA Burns

Biography

Dr . Karen E.A. Burns is an attending physician in adult Critical Care, Assistant Professor of Medicine. She Graduated from the University of Western Ontario Medical School and completed residencies in Internal Medicine, Respirology and Critical Care at the University of Western Ontario . In addition, Dr. Burns completed a clinical fellowship in Lung Transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh , a Master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology at McMaster University and two years of postdoctoral training in Clinical Epidemiology at McMaster University .Her primary research interest is in mechanical ventilation utilization. She have developed a program of research focusing on characterizing the existence and magnitude of practice pattern variation in weaning critically ill adults from invasive mechanical ventilation, on national and international levels, using rigorous survey methodology: within this research program, she conducted a three-month prospective observational study of mechanical ventilation discontinuation practices. In collaboration with colleagues in the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, she is currently conducting an eight-centre, pilot randomized controlled trial comparing an automated weaning protocol (computerized program that automates weaning from invasive ventilation) to a paper-based weaning protocol implemented by intensive care clinicians.As a meta-analyst, she have conducted research to establish the role for pressure and volume-limited mechanical ventilation strategies in the management of patients with acute lung injury and the adult respiratory distress syndrome and exploring the role for noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in weaning critically ill adults from invasive ventilation and as an adjuctive treatment for patients with congestive heart failure. As a trialist, she have explored the role of N-acetylcysteine in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery and in at risk critically ill patients undergoing contrast enhanced computed tomograms. As a methodologist, she is working to develop the field of survey methodology and have prepared a series of articles for health care practitioners outlining an approach to developing, testing, administering, and reporting high quality questionnaires.Together with colleagues in the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, she will be leading a 26-centre prospective observational study to describe the current process of procuring consent in critically ill adults and identifying factors that predict whether substitute decision makers decline or provide consent for critically ill patients to participate in critical care research studies.

Research Interest

Weaning from mechanical ventilation, mechanical ventilation utilization and applications, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in weaning, clinical epidemiology, methodology research

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