Ognjen Gajic, M.D.

The research interests of Ognjen Gajic, M.D., center on the epidemiology, pathophysiology and management of specific critical care syndromes (acute lung injury and multiorgan dysfunction), with a particular focus on health care delivery, simulation modeling and informatics.

For his work, Dr. Gajic has received a number of scientific awards from national and international critical care societies.

Focus areas

• METRIC-PM. Dr. Gajic's clinical laboratory, Multidisciplinary Epidemiology and Translational Research in Intensive Care and Perioperative Medicine (METRIC-PM), continuously evaluates the clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with a goal of identifying and implementing best practices and improving the quality of care in the intensive care unit (ICU).

  Sophisticated data retrieval and analysis techniques enable Dr. Gajic and his colleagues to search for new knowledge regarding disease mechanisms and the response of the human body to acute illness or injury.

Significance to patient care

Coordinated improvements in mechanical ventilation, transfusion and sepsis management have led to a marked decrease in the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome and improved outcomes for critically ill patients in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

Ambient intelligence applications, including electronic medical record (EMR) surveillance to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury; Acute Warning and Response Evaluation (AWARE); and Internet Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury (iCERTAIN) are being tested at several national and international clinical settings. Preliminary data have already shown both process improvements and decreases in adverse events.

Professional highlights

• Chair, U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials Network Prevention of Organ Failure (USCIIT-PROOF) Study Group