ANZCTR search results

Improved participation in screening for bowel cancer is desirable. Large scale screening programs must recruit invitees through comprehensive population registers. Depending on the country and health system these may be primary care practice lists or other registers such as the electoral roll. If primary care patient lists are available, considerable practice time may be required to organise the screening program, alternatively the implicit practice endorsement of screening may increase the participation rate to make that investment worthwhile. As screening is most effective when conducted regularly, it is important to determine if any increase in participation rate due to practice or practitioner endorsement is maintained over several rounds of screening offers. This study aims to follow screening participation over 4 rounds of offers in 4 treatment groups, and to use innovative statistical methods to determine the value of practice involvement in re-sceening participation.

This project aims to investigate the effects of portable oxygen, used during activity, by people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The MSBase Registry is a longitudinal, strictly observational Multiple Sclerosis database open to all practicing Neurologists worldwide. In collaboration with participating Neurologists, the MSBase Registry has established a unique, web-based platform dedicated to sharing, tracking and evaluating outcomes data in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In particular, MSBase aims to advance multi-centre, multi-national epidemiological and outcomes research by providing a freely accessible resource to compile, combine, compare and analyse large datasets. Participating Neurologists submit anonymized core clinical information using the freely available iMed software as a standardized data collection instrument. The core data to be collected is termed the minimum dataset, comprising key parameters relating to diagnosis, serial neurological examinations (Kurtzke Functional Score and Expanded Disability Status Score, EDSS), relapse information and treatment exposures. All aspects of patient management are entirely at the discretion of the managing neurologist and his or her patient. Anonymized aggregate data generated from the MSBase Registry will be reported to participating Neurologists on a regular basis. Important findings will be shared with the general neurology community at scientific meetings and through journal publications. The MSBase Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) acts as the custodian of the composite data, while individual datasets at all times remain the property of the participating physician. The MSBase SAB will ensure data integrity and monitor all MSBase activities including core study designs, promotion and implementation, and perform composite data analyses.

The purpose of this project is to see whether nizatidine, a drug commonly used to treat peptic ulcers and reflux disease, may improve the emptying of the stomach in patients who have had an operation for oesophageal cancer. Participation in this project involves taking the trial medication for one week and having a special gastric empyting scan before and after one week of treatment with the drug. The scan involves a small dose of radiation which has been approved by the Department of Human Services, Radiation Safety Approval.

Since the inception of human organ transplantation, HCMV remains single most-important cause of infectious morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised transplant patients. This project is designed to develop immunotherapeutic strategies based on adoptve transfer of virus-specific killer T cells for the treatment of HCMV infection in transplant patients.

Published: Emergency Medicine Australasia (2007) 19, 51–58 ABSTRACT Objective: To compare the effectiveness of three corticosteroid regimens in children with mild to moderate croup. Methods: Double-blinded, randomized comparative trial with parallel design, conducted in the ED of a paediatric tertiary care hospital. Children aged 6 months to 6 years presenting to the ED with croup were eligible for inclusion if their Westley croup score was 2 or more. They were randomized to receive a single oral dose of either prednisolone 1 mg/kg, dexamethasone 0.15 mg/kg or dexamethasone 0.6 mg/kg. Primary outcome measures were the magnitude and rate of reduction in Westley croup score, rate of return for medical care with ongoing croup, and further treatment with steroids in the week following index presentation. Secondary outcome measures were the proportion of subjects requiring admission or salvage therapy, such as nebulized adrenaline, during index presentation. Results: A total of 99 children, aged 6–79 months, were enrolled (mean age: 1.7 years). Thirty-four patients were randomized to receive prednisolone 1 mg/kg, 34 to receive dexamethasone 0.15 mg/kg, and 31 to receive dexamethasone 0.6 mg/kg. Baseline characteristics of the three groups were similar. The parents of 86 patients (87%) were available for follow-up telephone interview at 1 week. There were no significant differences in primary or secondary outcome measures between the three treatment groups. Conclusions: Both prednisolone 1 mg/kg and low-dose dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg) were found not to differ in efficacy from the currently recommended 0.6 mg/kg dexamethasone. The use of these corticosteroid regimens in treating patients with mild to moderate croup is thus supported.

The primary aim was to determine whether a lower dose of GH is as effective as higher doses at increasing lean body mass and whether GH-related side-effects are reduced with a lower dose.