Study title

PHRASe - Prehospital Recognition and Antibiotics for 999 patients with Severe sepsis: a feasibility study

Contact details

Chris Moore – chris.moore@wales.nhs.uk
Jenna Jones – J.k.bulger@swansea.ac.uk

Principal / Lead Investigator

Chris Moore, Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST)

Co-Investigators

H Snooks (PRIME, Swansea University), A Porter (PRIME, Swansea University), G Fegan, J Davies, B Sewell, N Francis (PRIME, Cardiff University), M Smyth, M Morgan.

Type of study

Feasibility study (RCT)

Study sponsor

Wales Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST)

Summary

Sepsis is a rare but serious complication of an infection. It kills between 36,000 and 64,000 people every year in the UK. Early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis has been shown to reduce the risk of death and improve health and well-being.

Paramedics frequently come into contact with patients with sepsis, and are well placed to provide early diagnosis and treatment. This small study aims to find out whether paramedics can collect blood samples and give antibiotics to patients with severe sepsis.

The aim of this study is to find out whether it is feasible, safe and acceptable, so that a decision can be made about whether to proceed to a full study, which can confirm whether it is effective for patients and worthwhile for the NHS.

Public / patient involvement

Public members contributed to the funding application and were members of the research management group throughout the study period. Public members were also members of the trial steering committee.

How could this research potentially benefit patients?

If this feasibility study progresses to a full trial, we will be able to answer questions about whether paramedics giving patients with suspected sepsis antibiotics during their prehospital care is safe, clinically and cost effective.

Does the study involve a methodological innovation?

This study used scratchcards for random allocation of patients to study arms. To our knowledge this has been used only a few times previously, namely on a previous HCRW funded project (RAPID).

Funder

RCGP Scientific Foundation Board             

Total grant value

£ 229,998

Start date

01/03/2017

End date

28/02/2019

Further information

Project profile on ISRCTN registry: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36856873

Outputs generated (Reports / Publications / Impact)

Rainer T, Nanayakkara P, Okolie C, Allen S, Fegan G, Davies J, Foster T, Francis N, Smith FG, Ellis G, Shanahan T, Howe R, Snooks H. Prehospital Recognition and Antibiotics for 999 patients with Sepsis (PhRASe): Protocol for a Feasibility Study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies (2018) 4:64 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-018-0258-8

Moore C, Bulger J, Morgan M, et al 4 Prehospital recognition and antibiotics for 999 patients with sepsis: protocol for a feasibility study BMJ Open 2018;8:doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-EMS.4 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_1/A2.1

Poster presentation at HSRK 2019: PHRASe - Prehospital Recognition and Antibiotics for 999 patients with Severe sepsis: a feasibility study

Impact

As a feasibility study, this study will have no direct impact at present. We do not yet know whether PhRASe met its predefined progression criteria, so cannot say as yet whether we are on the pathway to impact – as above, if this feasibility study progresses to a full trial, we will be able to answer questions about whether paramedics giving patients with suspected sepsis antibiotics during their prehospital care is safe, clinically and cost effective.