Professor Jeffrey Lipman

Emeritus Professor

UQ Centre for Clinical Research
Faculty of Medicine
j.lipman@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 65015
+61 7 3646 1847

Overview

Prof Lipman is Executive Director of the Burns Trauma & Critical Care Research Centre; Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care, The University of Queensland and until recently (for 23 years) was Director of Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital; He holds Honorary Professorial appointments at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Unversity of Witwatersrand (South Africa) and Qeensland University of Technology.

He has qualifications in anesthesia and intensive care and has set up and been in charge of a number of Intensive Care and Trauma Units in South Africa before coming to Australia in 1997. he currently manages a large multidisciplinary research team with an output of over 120 peer-reviewed articles per annum. He has supervised dozens of PhD students to completion and is currently supervising 6 PhD, 1 MPhil and 1 MBBS/Hons students. Prof Lipman has been instrumental in developing the anaesthesiology and critical care component of a graduate medical program for Queensland and continues to lecture to medical and postgraduate students.

Prof Lipman is the author of over 550 peer reviewed publications, 30 book chapters and has been invited to deliver over 120 lectures at national and international conferences in many countries across the world. His research interests include all aspects of infection management in intensive care and he has a special interest in the pharmacokinetics of antibiotic dosage, an area in which he received his MD in 2006. His research into antibiotic usage in acute situations has received international recognition and he is regarded as an expert in the field. As such, he and his research team have conducted and presently conduct a number of clinical trials in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Europe and the UK.

Prof Lipman is an Editorial Board member for 10 International Journals, is Section Editor on four Antibiotic related Journals, reviews for 23 journals and is an external reviewer for NHMRC project grants (Local) as well as equivalent for a number overseas countries.

He is Chief Investigator on a 7000 patient International Randomised Controlled Trial comparing bolus dosing versus continuous infusions of meropenem and piperacillin-tazobactam

Research Interests

  • Antibiotic dosing in critically ill patients
    Severe sepsis is defined as failure of one or more organ systems, most commonly cardiovascular (including shock), respiratory and renal failure, caused by infection. Bacteria, either alone or in combination with other pathogens, are the most common cause of severe sepsis, and Gram-positive and Gram-negative organism account for up to 87% of culture positive episodes. Severe sepsis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. The ANZICS CTG reported that the Australian and New Zealand adult annual incidence of severe sepsis is 77 cases per 100,000,4 which is equivalent to over 17,000 patient episodes per year at an estimated cost per episode of AUD 42,300. Similar population incidence rates have been reported elsewhere. Importantly, 11.8% of all admissions to Australian and New Zealand ICUs are associated with severe sepsis and in-hospital mortality is 37.5%. In patients with septic shock, mortality approaches 60%. The burden of death is almost four times the annual national road toll. The death rate also exceeds other diseases that impact significantly on the Australian community, such as breast and colorectal cancer. In short, severe sepsis is a major public health concern in Australia and improved therapies are needed urgently. My research group is conducting national and international clinical trials investigating the effect of various dosing regimes on health outcomes in critically ill patients.

Research Impacts

My research has been instrumental in changing antibiotic prescribing habits worldwide for critically ill patients, first with aminoglycosides (I did the first and still largest clinical trial to show single daily dosing to be effective) and more recently with beta-lactam antibiotics. Due to critically ill patients having altered pharmacokinetics, using standard antibiotic dosing for these patients is fraught with problems. This has led to the use of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) for beta-lactams.

TDM of aminoglycosides and glycopeptides is performed to decrease side-effects of these drugs. Beta-lactams have a large therapeutic ratio and hence measurement of them is infrequent. I helped set up routine TDM of beta-lactam antibiotics at RBWH. I have changed how we dose patients particularly in ICU but also within the wards of RBWH. By means of TDM we have shown we need dose adjustments in 74% of patients to which we administer β-lactam antibiotics in the ICU (Roberts JA et al. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2010;36:332-39). Although scarcely performed world-wide, TDM of beta-lactams is now becoming more commonly performed. We are currently collating data from 5 International centres that also use TDM in an attempt to show outcome benefits of TDM and are starting to publish accordingly (Wong G et al. An international, multi-centre survey of beta-lactam antibiotics TDM practice in intensive care units. J Antimicrob Chemother 2014;69: 1416–1423).

Publications

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Supervision

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Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • Denny, Kerina J., Lipman, Jeffrey and Roberts, Jason A. (2017). Cephalothin and cefazolin. Kucers the use of antibiotics: A clinical review of antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral drugs. (pp. 347-360) Boca Raton, FL United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781315152110

  • Lipman, Jeffrey (2013). Principles of antibiotic use. Oh's Intensive Care Manual, Seventh Edition. (pp. 738-742) Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-4762-6.00072-2

  • Lipman, Jeffrey (2013). Tetanus. Oh's Intensive Care Manual, Seventh Edition. (pp. 607-610) Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-4762-6.00055-2

  • Udy, Andrew and Lipman, Jeffrey (2012). Importance of high creatinine clearance for antibacterial treatment in sepsis. Sepsis management: PIRO and MODS. (pp. 171-197) edited by Jordi Rello, Jeffrey Lipman and Thiago Lisboa. Berlin, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-03519-7_12

  • Carvajal, Carlos, Rello, Jordi and Lipman, Jeffrey (2011). Candida pneumonia in patients with hematological neoplasia. Pulmonary involvement in patients with hematological malignancies. (pp. 349-356) edited by Elie Azoulay. Berlin, Germany: Springer - Verlag. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-15742-4_28

  • Ulldemolins, Marta, Roberts, Jason, Varghese, Julie and Lipman, Jeffrey (2010). Antibiotic dosing in critically ill patients. Critical Care Update 2009. (pp. 128-142) edited by Vineet Nayar, J. V. Peter, Roop Kishen and S. Srinivas. Daryaganj, New Delhi, India: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers.

  • Udy, Andrew, Roberts, Jason and Lipman, Jeffrey (2010). Augmented renal clearance: Unraveling the mystery of elevated antibiotic clearance. Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2010. (pp. 495-506) edited by J.-L. Vincent. Brussels, Belgium: Springer Verlag. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-10286-8

  • Varghese, Julie M., Roberts, Jason A. and Lipman, Jeffrey (2009). Avoiding toxicity of antibiotics. Patient safety and quality of care in intensive care medicine. (pp. 291-304) edited by Jean-Daniel Chiche and Leanne M. Aitken. Berlin, Germany: Medizinisch Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft.

  • Brown, Anthony F.T. and Lipman, Jeffrey (2008). Prehospital Care. Mechanical Ventilation: Clinical Applications and Pathophysiology. (pp. 307-319) Elsevier Inc.. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7216-0186-1.50032-6

  • Udy, Andrew, Roberts, Jason A., Boots, Robert J. and Lipman, Jeffrey (2008). Dose adjustment and pharmacodynamic considerations for antibiotics in severe sepsis and septic shock. Sepsis: New strategies for management. (pp. 97-102) edited by Jordi Rello and Marcos I. Restrepo. London: Springer-Verlag. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-79001-3

  • Brown, Anthony F. and Lipman, Jeffrey (2008). Pre-hospital Care. Mechanical ventilation: clinical applications and pathophysiology. (pp. 307-319) edited by P. J. Papadakos and B. Lachmann. Philadelphia, United States: Saunders.

  • Holley, Anthony and Lipman, Jeffrey (2008). Principles of Pharmacology in the Critically Ill. Critical Care Nephrology, Second Edition. (pp. 31-36) Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-1-4160-4252-5.50008-3

  • Cohen, Jeremy and Lipman, Jeffrey (2008). Use and abuse of antibiotics. Anaesthesia science. (pp. 128-136) edited by Nigel R. Webster and Helen F. Galley. Malden, MA, United States: Blackwell Publishing . doi: 10.1002/9780470755297.ch10

  • Roberts, J. A. and Lipman, J. (2007). Dose adjustment and pharmacokinetics of antibiotics in severe sepsis and septic shock. Infectious diseases in critical care. (pp. 122-146) edited by Jordi Rello, Marin Kollef, Emili Diaz and Alejandro Rodriguez. Berlin, Germany; New York, U.S.A.: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-34406-3_12

  • Freebairn, R., Cohen, J. and Lipman, J. (2007). Prescription of antimicrobial agents in patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy. Infectious diseases in critical care. (pp. 147-158) Berlin, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-34406-3_13

  • Freebairn, R., Cohen, J. and Lipman, J. (2007). Prescription of antimicrobial agents in patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy. Infectious diseases in critical care. (pp. 147-159) edited by Jordi Rello, Marin Kollef, Emili Diaz and Alejandro Rodriguez. Berlin & Heidelberg, Germany; New York, USA: Springer - Verlag.

  • Cohen, Jeremy and Lipman, Jeffrey (2006). Use and Abuse of antibiotics. Anesthesia science. (pp. 128-139) edited by Nigel R. Webster and Helen F. Galley. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Pub.

  • Lipman, J. and Saadia, R. (1999). Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Cardiothoracic Trauma. (pp. 295-303) edited by Stephen Westaby and John A. Odell. New York US: Oxford Univ. Press.

  • Hopley, M. and Lipman, J. (1999). Tetanus - Pathophysiology. Oxford Textbook of Critical Care. (pp. 510-512) edited by Webb, A. R., Shapiro, M. J., Singer, M. and Suter, P. M.. Oxford UK: Oxford University press.

  • Hon, H. and Lipman, J. (1999). Tetanus - Prevention and management. Oxford Textbook of Critical Care. (pp. 512-514) edited by Webb, A. R., Shapiro, M. J., Singer, M. and Suter, P. M.. Oxford UK: Oxford Univ. Press.

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Note for students: Professor Jeffrey Lipman is not currently available to take on new students.

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision