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During hospitalisation for an acute illness, an estimated 23% to 33% of older adults experience low mobility. Low levels of activity and older age are predictors of functional deterioration and poor health outcomes during hospitalisation. Yet activity levels of hospitalised older Australians has not been investigated, with previous behaviour mapping research focusing on general rehabilitation and stroke. This project will use behaviour mapping to determine the activity levels of older adults admitted to an acute aged care ward in an Australian hospital due to sustaining a fall, and examine associations between activity levels and health-related variables (e.g. functional ability, community services use, discharge destination). Falls were selected as the condition to focus on among this population as it is one of the most common reasons for admission to hospital among older adults. This project will identify potential and modifiable risk factors that could be addressed to improve patient care and outcomes for older Australians.

Research suggests sarcopenia effects approximately 6-22% of older adults worldwide. With an ageing population the prevalence and impact of sarcopenia are likely to increase, however it remains under-researched and under-diagnosed. A simple algorithm was developed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) to assess for sarcopenia using validated outcome measures. This algorithm could be incorporated into the routine assessment of older adults admitted to hospital, and provide valuable information on the prevalence of this disorder. The aims of this study are (i) investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia in older adults admitted to an Australian geriatric Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) using the EWGSOP's algorithm, and (ii) examine the association between participants’ demographic and health characteristics, and sarcopenia-related outcomes (grip strength, muscle mass and gait speed)..

The Action To promote brain HEalth iN Adults (ATHENA) pilot trial uses an RCT design and involves treatment with a low-dose triple combination pill of BP lowering agents or placebos. ATHENA will evaluate the feasibility, applicability, tolerability, safety and adherence of a risk reduction approach in a high-risk target population, evaluating a BP lowering intervention. In the current study, we will also test the feasibility of recruitment and assessment of a population with higher than average risk of dementia (i.e. DSM-V diagnosis of Minor Neurocognitive Disorder) remotely. The screening will be made through online assessments with subsequent telephone calls to assess eligibility and videoconference neuropsychological assessments.

The study aims to demonstrate that D-Tryptophan is safe and has pharmacokinetic tolerability and its therapy is associated with clinically significant reductions in biological markers of inflammation, wound area, and healing time compared to placebo in type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU).The study will have two phases, phase 1a (single ascending dose, SAD) being the single-dose escalation part. Based on the results of the Phase 1a trial, the study will be followed by phase 1b dose expansion part (multiple ascending doses, MAD) of the study, which will involve an increase in the number of participants and a treatment period of 12 weeks compared to placebo (control arm). study participants inlcude; 1.Subjects greater than or equal to 18 years of age diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on diet only or any diabetic medication regime. 2. Existing diabetes index foot ulcer grade A1 or higher according to the University of Texas Wound Classification System of Diabetic Foot Ulcers on the day of study inclusion. The study will be conducted on subjects attending High Risk Diabetes Foot Clinic at the Townsville Hospital and Kirwan Community Health after obtaining ethics approval and acquiring informed consent.

Inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast (ICLBs), such as engorgement, blocked duct, mastitis and breast abscess, commonly occur in the early postpartum period and all present with local breast inflammatory symptoms (e.g. breast pain, hardness/tightness, redness) and, often, systemic flu-like symptoms (e.g. fever, aches, chills, lethargy). These conditions are often debilitating for new mothers, having significant impact on their physical and emotional health and functioning, and are a commonly cited reason for premature stopping of breastfeeding. Therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) is the most common treatment used by Australian physiotherapists for women with ICLBs, however very few studies have looked at the effects of TUS on ICLBs. Additionally, physiotherapists across Australia currently use significantly different TUS settings for ICLB treatment. Physiotherapists from New South Wales and Victoria use high intensity TUS settings (to produce a heating effect), physiotherapists from Western Australia use low intensity TUS settings (a non-heating treatment) and some physiotherapists do not use TUS due to lack of evidence. Thus, the purpose of this study is to compare the use of these different TUS settings to treat ICLBs. We hypothesise that high intensity and low intensity TUS settings are more effective than no intensity TUS for reducing the severity of local inflammatory breast symptoms and systemic symptoms in women with ICLBs.

This trial will observe the physiological gastrointestinal responses to a single dose (20 drops, 1.1 ml) of STW5-II, vs placebo, to investigate the mechanisms by which this herbal preparation may exert its gastrointestinal symptom relieving effects. Participants will attend two visits at which they will receive either STW5-II or placebo, and gastrointestinal motility will be measured for the following three hours. The hypothesis is that STW5-II will increase antral contractility compared with placebo.

Inflammation in the lungs and circulation can cause asthma symptoms and can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications. For people with severe asthma, the inflammation and associated asthma symptoms are still problematic despite treatment with high dose puffer medications. Eosinophils are a type of cell in the blood and airways that promote inflammation. Mepolizumab (Nucala) and benralizumab (Fasenra) are treatments that can be prescribed for people with a type of severe asthma who have high eosinophil counts in their blood. Mepolizumab and benralizumab lower the number of blood and airway eosinophils and have been shown to reduce asthma flare-ups by about half. Recent research has described some new biological functions of eosinophils in inflammation. This study will aim to determine if these eosinophil functions and other important inflammation processes are a) changed in severe asthma in people with or without high blood eosinophil counts and b) whether any inflammation remains in people treated with mepolizumab or benralizumab. This new knowledge could help researchers to develop new asthma medications and better use existing medications in the future.

Diabetes has been understudied in the substance use population and there have been strong calls to address this paucity. People with substance use problems are at high risk of developing T2D yet screening and education is not integrated into routine care. The aim of the proposed study is to assess the effectiveness of the T2D risk communication tool on T2D risk perceptions and behavioural intentions among people with alcohol or other drug problems (i.e. participants who are receiving treatment/support for substance use problems). Specifically, the study will examine whether personalised T2D risk feedback is more effective in improving risk perceptions and increasing health behavioural intentions to reduce T2D risk compared to an active control group. We hypothesise that participants receiving the personalised T2D risk feedback will report significantly more accurate T2D risk perceptions and greater behavioural intentions compared to participants in the active control group.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy approaches for eating disorders (CBT-ED) are typically 20 sessions duration and can be challenging to access for consumers due to the time, cost and difficulty finding therapists who have the required expertise. While shorter guided-self interventions (GSH-CBT) designed to be used by non-experts have existed for a while as a first option in a stepped care approach, it has only been recently that a 10-session version of CBT-ED (CBT-T) has been available. This study compares these two brief CBT interventions to determine if either one is superior in treating non-underweight individuals with eating disorders.

STOP is intended to be a small pilot study conducted in a specialised paediatric emergency department (ED) examining the effect of giving the medication tranexamic acid or 'TXA' via a nebuliser on children aged 3-16y ears who come to the ED with throat bleeding after tonsillectomy surgery. We intend to study whether nebulised TXA is a safe and effective alternative to intravenous TXA, which is currently part of the standard treatment for this condition in the institution involved. Each child presenting to our ED with bleeding following tonsillectomy surgery will be screened for suitability, considered for enrolment and approached for consent to participate. Half of the patients will be allocated to a single initial dose of nebulised TXA and half will be allocated the standard single dose intravenous TXA treatment. We will grade the severity of bleeding from the throat on each patient firstly on their arrival to the ED and again 15 minutes after the TXA has been administered. We will also capture data concerning the timing of treatment, the acceptability and tolerance to nebulised TXA for this condition and information regarding the patient's episode of hospital care. The results will help us understand whether nebulised TXA is tolerated, easy to administer, its safety profile and its impact on post tonsillectomy bleeding in comparison to IV TXA treatment. We will also seek to establish if there is any evident differences in subsequent hospital stay and medium term adverse effects.