December 3, 2011
School of Medicine, Kochi
 

Dr. Sandeep Sreedharan, postgraduate scholar at the Amrita School of Medicine recently received the IMA-KMJ Research Award from the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
 

The award was conferred for a research paper published in Kerala Medical Journal (KMJ) that identified early predictors of mortality in critically-ill patients with sepsis.
 

Sepsis is a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria. It is an increasingly common cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in elderly, immuno-compromised and critically ill patients.

“Despite improvement in surgical and critical care management, the prognosis of sepsis and subsequent multiple organ dysfunction has largely remained unchanged,” the doctor stated.
 

“Sepsis is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients and the second leading cause of death among patients in non–coronary intensive care units,” he added.
 

Seventy-six patients admitted to Medical Intensive Care Units with features of sepsis were selected for the study. Data on clinical and biochemical parameters was recorded. The values of the study parameters obtained during admission were analysed. The patients were followed up on till death or discharge, depending on the outcome.
 

“In this study group, on-admission values of serum albumin, CRP and serum lactate were found to be associated with mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis. Further analysis revealed that out of the above three markers, serum lactate was the best predictor of mortality,” the doctor shared.
 

The study was the first of its kind in India and was completed under the guidance of Dr. M.G.K. Pillai, Professor in the Department of General Medicine.
 

Dr. Sandeep has published his research work top international journals including Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Diabetic Medicine, Metabolism and Diabetes Obesity Metabolism.
 

He was one of the compilers of the first ICMR- WHO diabetes atlas of India that was published in 2007.
 

Currently pursuing postgraduation in General Medicine, Dr. Sandeep’s research interests include molecular basis of insulin resistance, adipokine biology related to insulin resistance and its translation into clinical practice.
 

For his pioneering work, he recently received yet another award, the Young Scientist Award from the Association of Physicians of India – Kerala Chapter.
 

The award was conferred on him for his medical research into various aspects of insulin resistance and diabetes. This was the first Young Scientist Award ever conferred; it was a new initiative of the Association of Physicians of India – Kerala Chapter.
 

“Such awards will encourage research in health care related areas among the younger generation of doctors,” said Dr. Sandeep.
 

Dr. Sandeep joined Amrita in May 2008. Prior to joining Amrita, he was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, US.
 

“The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences is not only a premier health care provider, it has tremendous potential in the field of research and can encourage a lot of youngsters to take up research,” noted the scholar.