Damon Scales

Research Synopsis

Dr. Scales conducts health services and translational health research that seeks to improve the outcomes of critically ill patients. He has conducted many large, pragmatic and cluster randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

He is conducting the Paramedic Initiated Treatment of Sepsis Targeting Out-of-hospital Patients (PITSTOP) trial, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (NCT03068741). This large, 2x2 factorial RCT is evaluating whether prompt recognition of sepsis followed by early antibiotics and/or intravenous fluids delivered by paramedics upon first response leads to improved survival compared with transportation of patients to the hospital for treatment with usual care.

He is also conducting the NEUROlogically-Impaired Extubation Timing Trial (NEURO-ETT). This CIHR-funded RCT (NCT02920580) seeks to determine the optimal airway management strategy for patients who are weaned to minimal ventilator settings but who are not yet extubated due to an underlying acute brain injury.

With Sunnybrook Research Institute scientist Dr. Farhad Pirouzmand, he is leading the PROphylaxis for venous ThromboEmbolism in Severe Traumatic brain injury (PROTEST) study. This CIHR-funded RCT (NCT03559114) will compare the efficacy and safety of early versus delayed thromboprophylaxis in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.