Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grants - Institute/Initiative Community Support

Critical illness is associated with a high risk of death and long-term complications among survivors. Many patients experience ongoing physical weakness, memory and concentration problems, anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life after leaving the intensive care unit (ICU). Increasing evidence suggests that disruption of the gut microbiome during critical illness, the community of healthy bacteria living in the intestines, may contribute to these complications. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a treatment that transfers healthy gut bacteria from a donor to an affected patient to help restore a healthier microbiome. FMT is already approved in Canada for challenging Clostridioides difficile infections and has shown promise in restoring microbial balance and reducing harmful bacteria. However, FMT remains unfamiliar to many patients and healthcare providers, and concerns related to safety and acceptability may affect participation in future studies involving critically ill patients. Our multidisciplinary research team is planning a future Canadian pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating FMT in critically ill patients. This CIHR Meeting and Planning Grant will support a one-day patient and care partner workshop at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in the winter of 2027. The workshop will bring together patients and care partners with lived experience of critical illness and/or those who have received FMT, alongside experts in critical care, infectious diseases, microbiome science, qualitative research, and clinical trials. Together, participants will help identify patient and care partner important outcomes, as well as potential barriers and mitigation strategies related to the implementation of FMT research in critically ill populations. This work will help establish a patient and care partner-centred foundation for the design of a future Canadian pilot trial evaluating FMT as a strategy to improve recovery following critical illness.