Andrew Shorr

Andrew Shorr, MD, MPH, MBA is Section Head of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. In addition, he is Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.

A prolific author, Dr. Shorr has published over 300 original investigations plus numerous peer-reviewed articles, literature reviews, book chapters, editorials, case reports, and letters. In addition, he serves as a reviewer, editorial board member, and editorial advisory board member for several peer-reviewed journals, including Chest,Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Annals of Internal Medicine, as well as for the Pulmonary section of Medscape.

His numerous awards include a Fulbright Award, the Alfred Soffer Research Award from the American College of Chest Physicians, and Outstanding Teacher from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Shorr is a frequent invited lecturer, regularly presents his work at professional meetings, and is an international expert on topics ranging from ventilator-associated pneumonia to massively transfused combat trauma patients. He holds memberships on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Commissioner's Institutional Review Board Committee, the Veteran's Association National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Sarcoidosis Research Institute. In addition, he is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Diseases, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American College of Physicians, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Shorr is certified in Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Shorr earned a medical degree from the University of Virginia; completed an MPH in Health, Policy, and Ethics at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in Baltimore; and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC, and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, also at Walter Reed.

Research Interests

Dr. Shorr's research interests include

• Pulmonary disease
• Critical care medicine
• Resistant pathogens
• Healthcare-associated bacteremia

Selected Research

Validation of a clinical score for assessing the risk of resistant pathogens in patients with pneumonia presenting to the emergency department

Resistant organisms are increasingly implicated in pneumonia. In an article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases (2012;54:193-8), Shorr et al. sought to validate a previously developed score for determining patient risk for a resistant organism. It was concluded that this clinical risk score performs moderately well in classifying patients regarding their risk for a resistant organism.

Validation of a novel risk score for severity of illness in acute exacerbations of COPD

Clinicians lack a validated tool for risk stratification in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In an article published in Chest (2011;140:1177-1183), Shorr et al. sought to validate the BAP-65 (elevated BUN, altered mental status, pulse > 109 beats/min, age > 65 years) score for this purpose. The authors concluded that the BAP-65 system is a useful adjunct in the initial assessment of patients with acute exacerbation COPD.

Epidemiology, microbiology, and outcomes of healthcare-associated and community-acquired bacteremia: a multicenter cohort study

Few data exist to differentiate healthcare-associated bacteremia (HCAB) from community-acquired bacteremia (CAB). In this study (J Infect. 2011;62:130-5), Shorr et al. investigated the epidemiology and outcomes associated with HCAB. HCAB was found to account for a substantial proportion of blood-stream infections and was associated with a higher mortality rate than CAB.

Inappropriate antibiotic therapy in Gram-negative sepsis increases hospital length of stay

In this retrospective cohort study (Crit Care Med. 2011;39:46-51), Shorr et al describe the impact of initially inappropriate antibiotic therapy on length of hospital stay in patients with Gram-negative severe sepsis and septic shock. The authors found that inappropriate antibiotic therapy occurred initially in one-third of the patients. In addition to its impact on mortality, initially inappropriate antibiotic therapy is significantly associated with length of hospital stay.

View Dr. Shorr's publications on PubMed