ANZCTR search results

Despite best medical intervention, people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) show a steady decline in physical functioning over time. Research shows that exercise is beneficial to improve and maintain physical function and physical activity in people with PD but a challenge is to maintain this over time. This project aims to assist people with PD to improve their physical activity levels and importantly maintain them, by trialling a new intervention of physiotherapy group sessions that combine exercise, self-monitoring with armbands and the self-management skills needed to improve their physical activity levels.

The aims of this project are to: a. investigate whether the serum composition of post-menopausal women can be altered with 4 weeks of fish oil supplementation and an acute bout of resistance exercise b. Can changes to inflammatory markers in serum alter the activity of muscle cells grown in-vitro Proposal research design: The study is a randomized cross-over design study with a 4 week washout period between groups: Fish Oil group. Participants will be required to ingest 4 fish oil capsules (6g/d containing 2.16g of EPA and 1.42g of DHA) PUFA daily for 4 weeks. This dose has been selected as it is the dosage range recommended by the Australian Heart Foundation for lowering plasma triglyceride concentrations in hypertriglyceridemic subjects and has therefore previously been shown to be physiologically relevant in human subjects. Placebo group. Participants will be required to ingest equivalent amounts of coconut oil (6g/d) for 4 weeks. Coconut oil has been selected as it has been used as a control in other studies involving fish oil. Resistance Exercise. The acute exercise intervention will consist of both upper and lower body exercises including: the leg press, leg extensions, the bench press and dumbbell side lateral raises. The duration of the exercise session, including adequate warm-ups, will be ~60 minutes.

REPAIR is a study investigating the role of regional anaesthesia (RA) for reducing pain experienced during dressing change for patients who require split skin grafting after suffering burn injuries to the upper limbs. There are approximately 50,000 burn related hospital admissions per annum in Australia at an economic cost of $230m. This patient cohort may experience neuropathic or nerve pain that is notoriously difficult to treat. This trial will compare current pain practice with the use of RA in patients who have suffered burns and require dressing changes on the ward post split-skin grafting procedures. This study aims to redefine the way clinicians treat burn pain, and to lay the ground work for further investigation into RA and optimization of care for patients with burn injuries. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of regional anaesthesia as an intervention for burn pain associated with change of dressings and removal of staples after split skin grafting procedures to the upper limbs. Objectives: 1. To compare and contrast the outcomes of two patient cohorts receiving removal of staples and dressing change after upper limb split skin grafting including: a. Control group receiving standard opioid intervention as per treating team. b. Cohort receiving a single dose nerve block to upper limb grafting site. Methods Prospective, randomised clinical trial. Following institutional ethical approval, 20 participants will be sourced from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital acute in-patient burns unit. Written, informed consent will be obtained before patients are enrolled in the study. Patients will only be enrolled if they meet the inclusion criteria, and consent to the study. This study population of 20 patients will be divided into two groups (10 patients in each) with a control and interventional group. Once informed consent is obtained, participants will be randomised into two groups using a random number generator and sealed envelopes.Group one (I) will receive standard opioid intervention as per their treating team. Group two (II) will receive will receive standard opioid intervention with the addition of an ultrasound guided single-shot axillary brachial plexus block using 0.375% ropivacaine of 20-30mls. All patients will be charted post-procedural pain relief and antiemetics as per their treating team, and the addition of regional blockade will not affect availability of pain relief in any way. All blocks will take place in the designated anaesthetic block room prior to dressing change procedure. Blocks will be placed by qualified and experienced anaesthetic fellows and consultants under direct ultrasound guidance, employing aseptic technique, and according to standard practice. Patients will be followed up by a study member and data will be collected pertaining to numeric pain scores and opioid requirements daily for 7 days post-procedure or until discharge from hospital if it occurs sooner.

RELIEVE is a study investigating the role of regional anaesthesia (RA) for reducing pain for patients who require split skin grafting after suffering burn injuries. There are approximately 50,000 burn related hospital admissions per annum in Australia at an economic cost of $230m. This patient cohort may experience neuropathic or nerve pain that is notoriously difficult to treat. This trial will compare current pain practice with the use of RA in patients who have suffered burns and require split skin grafting. This study aims to redefine the way clinicians treat burn pain, and to lay the ground work for further investigation into RA and optimization of care for patients with burn injuries. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of regional anaesthesia as an intervention for treating pain resulting from anterior thigh split skin graft donor sites in patients undergoing burn injury treatment. Objectives: To compare and contrast the outcomes of two patient cohorts receiving split skin grafts for burn related injuries: a. Control group receiving standard intervention for harvest of donor site skin from the anterior thigh as per treating team. b. Cohort receiving a single dose fascia iliaca plane block (FIPB) (incorporating blockade of the femoral nerve and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve of the thigh). Methods Prospective, randomised clinical trial. Following institutional ethical approval, 20 participants will be sourced from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital acute in-patient burns unit. Written, informed consent will be obtained before patients are enrolled in the study. Patients will only be enrolled if they meet the inclusion criteria, and consent to the study. This study population of 20 patients will be divided into two groups (10 patients in each) with a control and interventional group. Once informed consent is obtained, participants will be randomised into two groups using a random number generator and sealed envelopes. Group one (I) will receive standard opioid administration and surgeon local anaesthetic infiltration as per their treating team. Group two (II) will receive an ultrasound guided single-shot fascia iliaca plane block (FIPB) of 0.375% ropivacaine of 20-30mls to provide donor site analgesia on the day of surgery. All blocks will take place in the designated anaesthetic block room prior to general anaesthetic for split skin graft harvesting. Blocks will be placed by qualified and experienced anaesthetic fellows and consultants under direct ultrasound guidance, employing aseptic technique, and according to standard practice. Patients will be followed up by a study member and data will be collected pertaining to numeric pain scores and opioid requirements daily for 7 days post-procedure or until discharge from hospital if it occurs sooner.

Background: Mastitis is a common inflammatory complication of lactation that may progress to infection. The onset may be insidious or sudden, and it impacts maternal wellbeing through breast pain, fever and flu like symptoms. Mastitis may progress to abscess, and potentially impacts the health of the preterm infant through reduced milk production and possible transmission of infection. Mothers of hospitalised preterm infants are at increased risk of mastitis due to a number of predisposing factors including use of a breast pump, poor health of the mother and/or infant, and exposure to pathogens within the hospital environment. Early detection and treatment of mastitis is critical to limiting its severity, with microbiological culture of milk recommended for hospital acquired cases. While an elevated milk sodium:potassium (Na:K) ratio is considered a marker of mastitis there are currently no clinical tests to confirm its onset. Mothers of hospitalised infants are typically required to access community based medical care for suspected mastitis. This can be difficult as they are typically dependent on others for transport after a caesarean birth, and insidious symptoms can be overlooked. Point of care (POC) screening of breast milk for elevated Na:K may offer a clinical tool for early detection of mastitis and therefore timely management, thus minimising the impact on the mother and infant. Objectives: To determine whether milk Na:K >1.0 ratios measured at POC are associated with mastitis in mothers of preterm infants. To determine the incidence of mastitis in a sample of mothers who are expressing milk for their hospitalised preterm infants. To determine whether acute reductions in 24-hour milk production volumes are associated with markers of mastitis. Trial Plan: An observational study of 65 mothers of preterm infants will be carried out. Breast milk Na and K concentrations will be measured at POC and Na:K calculated every second day from day 2 to day 10, and then every 3rd day until infant discharge from the neonatal nurseries of the study hospital. In the event of suspected mastitis, Na and K monitoring will occur daily from onset to 48 hours post resolution of symptoms. Microbiological cultures of milk samples will be performed on day 8, day 13 and every 6 days until infant discharge, and at the onset of mastitis. Breast symptoms and milk production volumes will be recorded at each sampling time point. Incidence of mastitis and breastfeeding outcomes will be tracked to 8 weeks postnatal

This study used data from two nationally representative surveys, the 1995 National Nutrition Survey and the 2011-13 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The purpose of this study was to examine change in dietary intakes of energy, macronutrients, fiber, fruits and vegetables among Australian adults between 1995 and 2011-13, according to socioeconomic position (educational level, household income, neighbourhood disadvantage).

The study will employ a cluster randomised controlled trial design and be conducted in metropolitan and regional areas of two Australian states. Community football clubs with over 40 junior members will be recruited from within Leagues. The intervention will be developed based on frameworks which build organisational capacity for implementation and consider the social, cultural and environmental factors that influence health behaviours. Intervention clubs will be supported to implement practices targeting alcohol management, tobacco use, nutrition practices, new player recruitment activity, equal participation for players, and the development of policies to support these practices. Trained research staff will collect outcome data via telephone interviews at baseline and follow-up. Primary outcome data will be collected from club representatives regarding the club’s implementation of the health promotion practices. Secondary outcome data will also be collected via telephone interview from parents/guardians of junior players and will focus on child and parent behaviours at the club.

This study aims to investigate left-right cerebral blood flow asymmetries and how it relates to lateralised behaviour in the infant. A non-experimental quantitative design will be utilised, allowing for analysis of numerical data. This study will be relational as it measures the potential relationships between lateralised behaviour and multiple hemodynamic characteristics of the trunks of the left and right middle cerebral and lenticulostriate arteries. The variables were selected because of their strong characterisation of the hemodynamic properties of arterial blood flow.

The primary purpose of this research is to determine whether consuming a polyphenol-rich seaweed supplement for 12 weeks will reduce LDL cholesterol levels in adults with elevated LDL cholesterol at baseline. It is hypothesised that the group who receive the seaweed extract supplement will have a greater reduction in LDL cholesterol levels than the group who receive the rice flour supplement.

The research project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a Brief Crisis Intervention for Adolescents who present to a community-based, public mental health service with recent suicidal behaviour/plan or deliberate self-harm (within the past 2 weeks). This intervention is offered to young people aged 12 to 18 years and their parents/carers as part of routine mental health care by mental health clinicians within the team. The Brief Crisis Intervention for Adolescents comprises four to five 60-minute appointments that include a beginning, middle and end phase of treatment. The treatment involves both the young person and their carer/s and covers the following therapeutic tasks: Keeping safe and building a shared story about the young person’s crisis situation; Working through selected individual and family treatment modules that have been specifically chosen to build coping skills relevant to the young person’s unique situation; and Relapse prevention (i.e. reviewing what has been learned and planning for the future). Young people and their parents/carers who participate in the Brief Crisis Intervention for Adolescents as part of the young person’s routine care, will also be invited to participate in this research study. Young people and parents/carers who decide to participate in this study are consenting for the young person's information and outcome measures be included in the evaluation. The questionnaires will include routine outcome measures given to all families receiving mental health care at this service, in addition to a few specific questionnaires that evaluate the young person’s suicidal ideation and behaviours, self-harm behaviours as well as resiliency. It is expected that participants who were provided the Brief Crisis Intervention will demonstrate less risk of future suicidal or self-harm behaviours and have gained coping skills to better manage stress experienced in their lives.