Quick Links: Research Objectives, Who Can It Help?, Respiratory Research, The Results are in. Cardiac Research

Research Objectives

Our lungs and hearts keep us alive and unfortunately, sometimes we require life support to keep them working. 

Every day in Queensland, children present to hospital with illnesses, disease and injuries and often require life support to aid in their recovery.

Unfortunately, most current ventilation equipment and techniques are not designed for children and can cause damage to their lungs that may lead to a lifetime of problems, or potentially even death.

This is because life support research has mostly focused on adults who have very different lung functions to children.

The Preston James Fund raises money for research into new techniques and equipment for children's life support.

By better understanding children's life support and looking at ways to improve its effectiveness, this research aims to avoid tragedy and support full recovery for these children.

Who can it help?

This life-saving research can help all children, 0 to 18 years. Across Australia, 10-20% of children that are admitted to hospital end up in a paediatric intensive care unit. They may have been hospitalised due to respiratory illness or disease, cardiac problems, head injuries, to name a few.

A large number of these kids need life support. This could be anyone's child.

The Preston James Fund supports the research that supports children.

Respiratory Research

At the Mater Children's Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, 60-70% of children admitted require life support in the form of mechanical ventilation. The difficulty is that not all children respond to standard types of ventilation, particularly if they have lung injuries.

The methods used to ventilate children are based on years of research tested on adults. But it has emerged that the ventilation for children is unique. For children who have acute lung injury or disease, inappropriate ventilation can have life threatening results.

Many parents have watched their children suffer acute lung injuries or lung disease and die on life support. If more appropriate mechanical ventilation techniques were developed from research that addresses the unique breathing pattern of children, the loss of these lives could be avoided.

The Results are in...

Your generous donations to date have reached over $175,000 which has led to significant advancements in respiratory research for children.

Dr Schibler and his dedicated research team at the Mater Children's Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit have seen some very promising results in the ten major areas of research.

These are:

• Collapsed lung
• Non-invasive ventilation
• Congenital diaphragmatic herni
• Pre-term infants with respiratory disease
• Lung function during sleep
• Study of lung function
• High flow oxygen therapy
• Study of lung filling
• Severe head injury

While there is a long way to go for the team, some early highlights of Dr Schibler's research team include:

Pre-term infants with respiratory disease
Studies into the effect that a baby's position (the way it is lying) has on its lung function have been so successful that they now form part of the Queensland Health state-wide guidelines. These results have been presented at various conferences around the world to share the exceptional outcomes.

Collapsed Lung
A manoeuvre that reverses the collapsed lung has proven successful, with no adverse effects. What this means for children is there is a reduced chance of permanent damage to their small lungs. The team at the Mater are only part way through this study, however early signs are very promising. The preliminary results will be presented at conferences in Berlin and Sydney.

Non-Invasive Ventilation
Non-invasive ventilation is a lot more comfortable for children than invasive ventilation and therefore easier for parents. What it means is that children do not have tubes down their nose but rather can wear a mask that provides life support to their little lungs. Non-invasive ventilation means that children are not exposed to the same risks as invasive ventilation, such as infection and lung injury.

Dr Schibler's research team now have a greater understanding of non-invasive ventilation and use it successfully within the intensive care unit. This greater understanding has meant that 30% less children need invasive ventilation and are able to have life support delivered by the mask.

Study of Lung Function during Sleep
Dr Schibler's research team have shown that children have very different breathing patterns to adults. Through this research, Dr Schibler and his team hope to have a clear understanding of how children breathe vs. how adults breathe. This will help to design new life-support for children to minimise the risk of injury to their small, developing lungs. See image of adult vs. infant lung filling below.

High Flow Oxygen Therapy
High flow oxygen therapy is the most desirable of the known ventilation techniques for children, as it is the least invasive and most comfortable for the child. This type of ventilation involves the child wearing normal oxygen tubing, but we deliver a higher flow of humidified oxygen through the tubing. This gives pressure which helps support the child to breathe.

Dr Schibler's research team are currently investigating which is the best flow and pressure to help the lungs. High flow oxygen therapy is now widely used in clinincal practice in the paediatric intensive care unit at the Mater Children's Hospital and has halved the need for invasive ventilation in infants with the common condition of bronchiolitis. Results of this study will be presented at a conference in Sydney.

Study of Lung Filling
Dr Schibler's team is research an "automatic wean" from ventilation. What this means is that the life-support equipment may be able to sense the child's breathing requirements and then automatically reduce the level of support required, at the exact right time for the child. Currently this is performed by the nurse or doctor. The research team believe that "automatic wean" may reduce the amount of time the child will require life support and therefore reduce the risk of complications associated with life support.

Head Injury Research
Severe head injury remains one of the leading causes of childhood disability and death. Children with severe head injuries require life support as they are in a coma and unable to breathe for themselves. Dr Schibler's research team are studying ways in which to reduce the chance of death and long term injury following severe head injury. A study is looking into ways of improving the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain by adjusting the life support machine. This study is near completion and has been presented at national conferences.

The results so far show that the life support machine can be adjusted in such a way that brain oxygen levels are improved, and therefore the potential for death or long term brain damage is reduced.

There are plenty more good stories about this research to share, so please contact Kelly Foster on (07) 3163 5698 for more information.

Cardiac Research

The Preston James Fund aims to raise money for cardiac research for children. This crucial element of life support needs further research and is in line with our commitment to saving children's lives through improved life support.

Dr Schibler's research team are dedicated to finding ways of improving the life support delivered to children following heart surgery. A study is due to commence which looks at air and blood flow to the lungs before and after surgery. The information gained from this study will provide new insight into the way the heart and lungs behave and will help many children in the future.

As Queensland-based research opportunities arise, the Fund will evaluate the alternatives and inform our valued supporters about the research.