Approved Research

A study of genetic factors predisposing for critical illness

Lay summary

Critical illness leading to intensive care means suffering and high risk of death for the individual, and costs to society. There are several reasons why patients end up in intensive care units (IVA), but common to them is that they develop failure in vital organs. Sepsis, COVID-19 infection, and surgical trauma are common causes of failure of vital organs. During the past year, these conditions have accounted for a very large proportion of all admissions to ICU in Sweden.

We have previously shown that inherited a.k.a. genetic factors are important in how ill a person gets from the same infection or surgical procedure. The planned study can help us understand which genetic factors are important risk factors for getting severely ill and recovering thereafter. Moreover, these studies can help us understand some of the mechanisms leading to severe illness, increasing the chance of finding treatments to prevent or cure these conditions.