Dr. Sims completed her surgical training at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 2003. She was appointed as Instructor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School (2003-2004) and completed a fellowship in Laparoscopic Surgery in 2004. She subsequently trained at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and completed a fellowship in Traumatology and Surgical Critical Care. She is board certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.

Dr. Sims is currently an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and is the Medical Director for the Dulles 6 Surgical Unit and a unit-based clinical leader. Her clinical projects include an observational study investigating the neuroendocrine profile of trauma patients undergoing massive resuscitation, the use of hormonal supplementation in trauma, and the implementation of a domestic violence screening tool in the trauma bay. Her laboratory is investigating mitochondrial dysfunction in late stage hemorrhagic shock and the development of targeted resuscitative solutions. (AVERT Shock Trial)

1. Legome EL, Sims C, Rao P. Epiploic appendagitis: adding to the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain. J Emerg Med 17(5):823-826, Sept./Oct. 1999.
2. Sims CA, Wattanasirichaigoon S, Menconi MJ, Ajami AM, Fink MP. Ringer’s ethyl pyruvate solution ameliorates ischemia/reperfusion-induced intestinal mucosal injury in rats. Crit Care Med 29(8):1513-1518, Aug. 2001.
3. Sims C, Seigne P, Menconi M, Pettit J, Puyana JC. Skeletal muscle acidosis correlates with the severity of blood volume loss during shock and resuscitation. J Trauma 51(6):1137-1146, Dec. 2001.
4. Sims CA, Berger D. Airway risk in hospitalized patients with cervical spine injuries requiring halo fixation. Ann Surg 235(2):280-284, Feb. 2002.
5. Sims C, Stylopoulos N, Clavijo J, Barlow C. Histologic characteristics of laparoscopic saline-enhanced electrosurgery of liver and splenic injuries. Surg Endoscopy 17(11):1739-1743, Nov. 2003.
6. Marshburn TH, Legome E, Sargsyan A, Li J, Noble, VA, Dulchavsky SA, Sims C, Robinson D. Goal-directed ultrasound in the detection of long-bone fractures. J Trauma 57(2):329-332, Aug. 2004.
7. Clavijo-Alvarez JA, Sims CA, Menconi M, Shim I, Ochoa C, Puyana JC. Bladder mucosa pH and pCO2 as a minimally invasive monitor of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. J Trauma 57(6):1199-1210, Dec. 2004.
8. Clavijo-Alvarez JA, Sims CA, Pinsky MR, Puyana JC. Monitoring skeletal muscle and subcutane-ous tissue acid-base status and oxygenation during hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. Shock 24(3):270-275, Sept. 2005.
9. Sims CA, Wiebe DJ, Nance ML. Blunt solid organ injury: Do adult and pediatric surgeons treat children differently? J Trauma 2008;65:698-703.
10. Nagpal S, Halpern CH, Sims C, Gracias VH, Schuster JM, LeRoux PD, Levine JM. Decompressive laparotomy to treat intractable cerebral hypoxia. J Trauma 2009;67:E152-5.
11. Sarani B, Temple-Lykens B, Kim P, Sonnad S, Bergey M, Pascual JL, Sims C, Schwab CW, Reilly P. Factors associated with mortality and brain injury after falls from the standing position. J Trauma 2009;67:954-8.
12. Plackett TP, Coviello LC, Belnap CM, Phillips KJ, Sims CA. Intussusception and colonic ischemia in portal hypertension: a case report. Hawi’i Medical Journal 2010;69:39-41.
13. Sims CA, Holmes L, Jaffe R, Sonnad S, Bergey M, Pascual J, Sarani B, Becker L, Schwab CW. Vasopressin supplementation: the missing link of trauma exsanguination protocols ? J Trauma (submitted).
14. Sims CA, Jaffe R, Holmes L, Sonnad S, Bergey M, Pascual J, Sarani B, Becker L, Schwab CW et al. Relative vasopressin deficiency in hemorrhagic shock : Are initial biomarkers predictive ? J Trauma (submitted).
15. Sarani B, Powell E, Taddeo J, Carr B, Seamon M, Wobb J, Sims C, Pascual J, Patel A, Goldberg A, Schwab CW. A contemporary comparison of surgical and interventional management arteriography of blunt renal injury. J Trauma (submitted).
16. Menger R, Telford G, Kim P, Bergey M, Foreman J, Sarani B, Pascual J, Reilly P, Schwab CW, Sims CA. Risk factors associated with chest tube complications following thoracic trauma. Injury (submitted).
17. Sabra D, Bergey M, Grill E, Sarani B, Pascual J, Datner E, Kim P, Sims CA. Intimate partner violence and the trauma team: more than education is needed. JACS (submitted)

1. Stawicki SP, Sims C, Sarani B, Grossman MD, Gracias VH. Methylene blue: Who, when, and how? Mini Rev Med Chem 2008;8:472-90.
2. Cipolla J, Weger NS, Sharma R, Schrag SP, Sarani B, Truitt M, Lorenzo M, Sims CA, Kim PK, Torigian D, Temple-Lykens B, Sicoutris CP, Stawicki SP. Complications of vena cava filters: A comprehensive clinical review. OPUS 12 Scientist 2008;2(2):11-24.
3. Stawicki SP, Sims CA, Sharma R, et al. Vena cava filters: a synopsis of complications and related topics. J Vasc Access 2008;9:102-110.

1. Sims CA, Wattanasirichaigoon S, Menconi MJ, Fink MP. Intravenous pyruvate and pyruvate ethyl ester ameliorate intestinal mucosal injury following ischemia/reperfusion. Surgical Forum, 1999;50:246-248.

1. Lombardo G, Kim P, Reilly P, Sonnad S, Figueredo R, Sims C. Effect of levothyroxine administration on the hemodynamic management of patients with trans-cranial gunshot wounds. Crit Care Med 2007;35:A70.
2. Jaffe R, Holmes L, Martin N, Sonnad S, Bergey M, Morgenthaler N, Struck J, Horan A, Guan Y, Deutschman C, Reilly P, Schwab CS, Sims C. Copeptin levels predict the severity of shock in trauma patients. Shock 2008;29:S27-28.
3. McCormick Z, Guan Y, Revere K, Becker L, Sims C. Hemorrhagic shock does not induce early mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in liver. 4th Annual Academic Surgical Congress, February 3-6, 2009, Fort Myers, FL.
4. Strong ML, Grill EK, Sims CA. Altered thyroid in exsanguinating trauma patients. Crit Care Med 2008;36:A65.
5. Sims C, Jaffe R, Foreman J, Menger R, Sonnad S, Pascual J, Sarani B. Adrenal insufficiency in hemorrhagic shock. Crit Care Med 2008;36:A65.
6. Sims C, Taddeo J, Bassett G, Sonnad S, Pascual J, Holena D, Schwab CW. Seeking closure: a pilot study of a novel dynamic fascial closure technique in trauma patients requiring damage control. Submitted to WTA 2011 meeting.

1. Sims C, Berger D. Abdominal vascular injuries. Chap. 23 in Sheridan R (ed):The Trauma Handbook of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2004, 351-371.
2. Sims CA, Rattner DW. Technical surgical failures: Presentation, etiology and evaluation. Chap. 8 in Ferguson MK, Fennerty MB (eds): Failed Antireflux Therapy: Evaluation and Management. London: Springer, 2006, 91-102.
3. Sims CA, Ochoa JB, Puyana JC, Reilly PM. Support of the organ donor. Chap. 45 in Peitzman AB, Rhodes M, Schwab CW, Yealy DM, Fabian TC (eds): The Trauma Manual, 3rd Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.
4. Sims CA, Kim PK. Use clindamycin in necrotizing fasciitis to cover group a streptococcus. Chap.152 in Marcucci L, Martinez EA, Haut ER, Slonim AD, Suarez JI (eds): Avoiding Common ICU Errors. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007, 362-363.
5. Sims CA, Reilly PM. Penetrating neck trauma. Cameron JL (ed): Current Surgical Therapy, 9th Edition. St. Louis: Mosby, 2007, 1059-1062.
6. Sims CA, Reilly PM. Care of the potential organ donor. In Rabinovici R, Frankel H, Kirton O (eds): Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Surgical Emergencies, Informa, (in press).
7. Sims CA, Gracias V. Adrenal insufficiency. In Rabinovici R, Frankel H, Kirton O (eds): Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Surgical Emergencies, Informa, (in press).
8. Sanborn M, Sims CA. Endocrine monitoring in the neurosurgical intensive care unit. Chapter 23. Le Roux, Levine, and Kofke (eds): Monitoring in Neurocritical Care (in press).
9. Sims CA. Endocrine emergencies in the intensive care unit. In Deutschman CS and Nelligan PJ (eds): Evidenced-Based Practice of Critical Care. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier, 2010 p.525-541.
10. Allen S, Sims CA. Approach to the trauma patient. In Hanson CW, Manaker S (eds): The Intensive Care Unit Manual (in press).
11. Sims CA. Organ donation: Management of the organ donor. In Vincent JL and Hall J (Eds). Encylopedia of Intensive Care Medicine. Springer (in press)

1. Ajami AM, Sims CA, Fink MP: Pyruvate ester composition and method of use for resuscitation after events of ischemia and reperfusion. U.S. Patent Number 10,116,707 – August 23, 2004.