Simon Tilma Vistisen from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital receives the Erhoff Foundation's Talent Prize. The prize is given for his contribution to medical technology and clinical physiology.

2015.06.23 | Helle Horskjær Hansen

Simon Tilma Vistisen's PhD project was the launchpad for developing a monitoring method which combines existing measurements to predict whether a patient with blood poisoning requires fluids or not.

He graduated with an MSc in Engineering in Healthcare Technology and in 2010 the 34 year-old Simon Tilma Vistisen began a PhD at Health, Aarhus University. Now he has been awarded the Erhoff Foundation's Talent Prize. The prize is given for his contribution to medical technology and clinical physiology.

Simon Tilma Vistisen is currently testing whether he can turn the small irregular heartbeats – which everyone experiences on an almost daily basis – into a physiological benefit for patients. These heartbeats are called extraststoles.

An extrasystole is a heartbeat that happens a little too early relative to the fixed rhythm which the heart otherwise follows. Because an extrasystole erroneously beats prematurely, the heart does not have enough time to fill itself up sufficiently, so that its ability to pump in that heartbeat is very much reduced. The next heartbeat once again follows the normal regular rhythm again.

"On the other hand, the heart has had a relatively long time to fill itself following the previous poor emptying of the heart, so that the second beat is an overfilled heartbeat in relation to the normal heart beat. Apart from the increased filling, the second heartbeat is a normal heartbeat, explains Simon Tilma Vistisen.

Provide free answers

His hypothesis is thus that an analysis of how well this second heartbeat actually beats when compared to the normal heartbeats can reveal whether the heart will pump considerably better, if the filling of the heart is increased using fluid treatment.

"The extrasystoles second beat provides a free answer to the question of what extra filling will mean for the heart’s ability to pump – the answer clinicians are looking for," he says and emphasises that this is an obvious option in connection with the monitoring of intensive care patients.

The method has been provisionally confirmed in experiments and a study of almost 40 patients who have undergone heart surgery is showing promising data as it nears completion.

The award ceremony takes place at the Carlsberg Academy in Copenhagen on 17 June 2015.

Further information

Associate Professor, PhD Simon Tilma Vistisen
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Research Center for Emergency Medicine
Direct tel.: +45 2067 6868
vistisen@clin.au.dk