ABSTRACT
Research in the critical care setting can lead to improvement in the quality of patient care through evidence-based medicine. For instance, research into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has led to the development of lung-protective strategies that have decreased the incidence of lung injury in ventilated patients. Translational medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach to ensure that both laboratory and clinical researchers work towards the same research goals, resulting in bench-side studies that are relevant to patients. Patients enrolled into randomised controlled trials will be randomly allocated either to the group receiving the intervention being studied, or to the group receiving current standard medical treatment. Most intensive care unit patients will lack capacity to consent to research. Capacity requires a patient to understand the information given to them, retain the information, and convey a decision to those treating them.
