The health care professionals, scientists, and support staff of the Memphis Lung Research Program are dedicated to advancing basic knowledge, improving upon present diagnostic and treatment modalities, and promoting education about systemic inflammatory disorders (including sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring admission to the Intensive Care Unit. Our work is focused on improved survival rates and quality of life for patients afflicted by acute respiratory failure (ARF), and decreasing duration of intensive care unit stay and hospital cost. These goals are achieved by integrating clinical and basic science investigation into an organized multidisciplinary team approach to patient care.

Our research activity is directed at modifying these important risk factors associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with acute respiratory failure and sepsis:

1. Degree and duration of systemic inflammation, the mechanism that causes multiple organ failure and increased mortality.
We are investigating the role of prolonged glucocorticoid treatment in decreasing systemic inflammation in patients with ARDS and severe sepsis

2. Need for endotracheal intubation
We are investigating the role of noninvasive ventilation as a means to avoid endotracheal intubation and to accelerate removal from conventional mechanical ventilation

3. Accurate diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia
We are investigating diagnostic methodologies for reliable diagnosis and monitoring of ventilator-associated pneumonia

We welcome patients and their loved ones, health care professionals, and medical students to our site. This web site is divided into four areas: program overview, patient information, physicians, and links.

For patients and their family, we have included educational material and links to other organizations. We hope this information will be useful to you and we welcome comments and suggestions. If you are in Memphis we welcome a visit to our program. We are located here and you can reach us at 901-448-5864.

For physicians and health care professionals, educational material is provided
PDF files of some of our publications
Protocols used in our intensive care units
Power Point slides on a variety of related topics

If you download this material we ask that you acknowledge its source.

We are deeply indebted to our supporters, the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation and the Assisi Foundation of Memphis. Without their trust and generosity we could not have completed research that we believe will impact on the lives of thousands of patients. If you are a patient who has benefited from the use of prolonged glucocorticoid treatment in ARDS or sepsis your expressions of gratitude to the Foundations are appreciated. Contributions in support of our program goals may be made through the University of Tennessee.

This web site was designed and created by Vivian Gomez. Contributions for the content included in these pages are attributed to Chris Bell, BSN; Stephanie Carson, RN CCRC; Mary Gibson, RN BSN, CCRC; Emil (Sonny) Golden, MD; Vivian Gomez; Stacey Headley, MD; Siva Kanangat, PhD; G. Umberto Meduri, MD; Duane Miller, PhD; Vivian Simon; Frankie Stentz, PhD; Betsy Tolley, PhD; Reba Umberger, RN; Ryan Yates, PharmD.

Welcome Message from
the Director of the Memphis Lung
Research Program
Dr. G. Umberto Meduri

umeduri@utmem.edu