Medical research paper gains over 1000 citations

A key medical research paper published in 2003 led by Tim Coats MD FRCS FFAEM, Professor of Emergency Medicine in the Emergency Medicine Academic Group and Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University, has received more than 1,000 citations.

This is an exceptional accolade and shows that this paper has proven to be a gold-standard in the field for over a decade.

The paper, entitled ‘Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy’, which reported a retrospective patient study, was published in The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection and Critical Care, and was based on patients treated by London’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. It showed that coagulopathy (blood not clotting) happened very early, was part of the body’s intrinsic response to severe injury and was independently associated with death.

Professor Coats said: “This paper started an important new field of investigation in trauma care and led to the 2010 CRASH2 study in which we discovered an effective treatment (tranexamic acid) for the condition - which is now in use worldwide saving 60,000 young lives per year. The initial project was due to the enthusiasm of an undergraduate student (Jasmin Singh), who wanted to do an extra-curricular research project, and shows that our students can make significant medical discoveries.”

Following the initial work of medical student (now Dr) Jasmin Singh, the paper was co-written by (then) trainee doctors Karim Brohi (now Professor of Trauma Sciences at Barts and the London School of Medicine), and Mischa Heron (now Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Barts Health NHS Trust).

The paper can be found here.