TR Symposium speaker spotlight: Dr Sarah Zaman

Dr Sarah Zaman

Monash University's 3rd annual Translational Research Symposium is being hosted by its three metropolitan clinical schools on 31 July 2017. The symposium will host a diverse group of medical researchers presenting their work into translational research. RSVP here.

Dr Sarah Zaman is a cardiologist at Monash Heart and Monash Health.

Dr Zaman will be presenting on "Primary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death after Myocardial Infarction".
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Background: Patients who have survived a myocardial infarction (MI) with resultant impaired cardiac function are at high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The risk of SCD is 6 times higher in the first month post-MI then thereafter, with a substantial risk in patients with more preserved cardiac function. However, current guidelines exclude such patients form receiving a primary prevention implantable-cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).

Aims: The PROTECT-ICD Trial aims to prevent SCD through use of an electrophysiology study (EPS) to identify high risk patients early-post MI who may benefit from an ICD.

Methods: This is an international, multi-centre, randomised controlled trial of 1,058 patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)≤40% post-MI. Patients are randomised 1:1 to either early (3-40 days after MI) ICD implantation guided by electrophysiological study, or to standard care (ICD implanted >3 months post-revascularisation for MI if LVEF≤30% or ≤35% with heart failure). The primary outcome is SCD or non-fatal arrhythmia at 2-years.

Research Plan: The trial commenced in 2014 with 15% of target participants already recruited from 18 active sites across the AsiaPacific. With a further 10-20 sites being initiated in 2017, complete patient recruitment and 2-year follow up is projected to finish in 2020.

Significance/Expected Outcomes: The PROTECT-ICD Trial is unique in being the only study to target the important issue of early prevention of SCD in post-MI patients through the use of an electrophysiology study. The trial has the potential to change national and international guidelines for primary prevention of SCD and selection for defibrillator therapy

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We look forward to welcoming Dr Zaman for the Symposium!

More information:
Translational Research Symposium

• Date: Monday 31 July, 2017
• Time: 8:30 for 9:00am start - 7:00pm close
• RSVP here

Find out more about the symposium and our speaker program.

If you are a graduate student or early career researcher, you may be interested in the Young Investigator poster competition. See here for more details and to RSVP.