A design research project participating in the IHU PROMETHEUS Project, fighting to reduce mortality of sepsis.
About the postdoctoral research
In the context of her postdoctoral research at the CRD (supervised by Roland Cahen), Claire’s work focuses on the identification, development and application of assessment methods to evaluate design proposals in the research-project phase. The design proposals to be evaluated are those developed by Matthieu Savary during his doctoral research. During this early project phase, the designer having already identified the specific issue to be addressed, they conduct ideation and modelling activities to make foundational decisions about the future trajectory of the design proposal. These choices impact not only the shape of the design proposal itself (tangible or intangible) but also form the constraints around the services it will provide.
To manage its trajectory, it is important to continually question the design proposal, particularly with regards to its specific environment of use and the individuals who will benefit from its services. During the postdoctoral research, select methods of assessment will allow to re-orient the design proposals in parallel to their development and allow to identify the directions of experiments to take place in the hospital environment.
This work takes place in the framework of the CRD’s participation in the IHU PROMETHEUS project, a vast multidisciplinary effort to cut the mortality rate of sepsis in half within 10 years. Characterised as a loss of control of the body’s inflammatory response to infection, sepsis is responsible for one out of every four deaths in the world.
About sepsis
Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger inflammatory reactions throughout the body. Any type of infection can cause sepsis, from a minor nick on the finger to a urinary tract infection.
Instead of local inflammation resulting from a local infection, which would be the appropriate response, the body’s entire system goes into inflammation. This inflammatory response can lead to dehydration and changes in circulation, for instance a drop in blood pressure. This can compromise the ability of the circulatory system to provide adequate oxygen (etc.) to the tissues. The underlying mechanism behind tissue and organ dysfunction in sepsis is the decreased delivery to and utilization of oxygen by cells as a result of hypoperfusion (low blood flow) due to cardiovascular dysfunction.
This then leads to dysfunction in various organs, such as the lung, heart, kidney, and brain. It can also lead to shock, multiple organ failure, and death, especially if it is not recognized early and treated promptly.
The main symptoms to be aware of:
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden change in vitals (blood pressure, heart rate)
- Altered mental status, dizziness and confusion, agitation
- Drastically reduced urine output
- Lethargy
- Feeling like you’re going to die
Visit these sites for more information about sepsis: