ANZCTR search results

Title: Malignant Hyperthermia - A new simple diagnostic test Malignant Hyperthermia is a life threatening uncommon complication associated with having an anaesthetic. It may be passed down through families from one generation to the next. Many people at risk of Malignant Hyperthermia may be confirmed by a simple genetic test. However all other patients require a sample of muscle (muscle biopsy) taken from the leg, to have special functional testing to confirm they are at risk of Malignant Hyperthermia – the in-vitro contracture test (IVCT). The muscle biopsy is taken from the leg, requiring a surgical operation and a general anaesthetic that is known to be safe with MH. Technical advancements have enabled the design of a new test on a very small component of the muscle obtained from a minor needle biopsy, under local anaesthetic. Through this project we will show this simple less invasive technique is a reliable test to determine a patient’s potential risk of malignant hyperthermia. On the east coast of Australia, we have two Malignant Hyperthermia testing units. The Malignant Hyperthermia Units at The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), Victoria and The Children’s Hospital, Westmead, NSW have been established for more than 15 years, and offer assessment of malignant hyperthermia risk through consultation, the muscle biopsy test and genetic analysis. The Muscle Research Laboratory, The University of Queensland, has extensive experience and understanding of skeletal muscle functioning. We will combine the excellence of all departments to improve our understanding of malignant hyperthermia and develop this simple, cheaper less invasive testing for malignant hyperthermia risk. This study will have implications for providing a clear diagnosis for patients at risk of malignant hyperthermia, while being significantly less invasive than the current muscle biopsy test. A simple investigation acceptable to the general population will increase the number of patients agreeing to define their risk of malignant hyperthermia and thus contribute to safer anaesthesia for our community.

This study will investigate the potential link between a patients foot type and the impact of anti-pronatory interventions. The patients foot type will be defined as the level of pronation (how much the foot rolls in) based on the Foot Posture Index (FPI-6). The anti-pronatory interventions (measures used to stop the foot rolling in) will include a standard strapping technique using rigid sports tape and orthotic devices (inserts for shoes). Participants will be those aged over the age of 18 attending the Charles Sturt University podiatry service for treatment or foot pain or pathology, who are provided with an anti-pronatory intervention. Data collection will focus on the FPI-6, supination resistance test, lunge test, and 3D motion analysis. It is expected that different foot types will influence the biomechanical response to the intervention, however, this study will investigate the magnitude of those responses.

The Group Emotional and Relationship Skills (GEARS) program is a culturally informed, fully manualized and skills-based group program consisting of 12 x 120-minute sessions. There are six sessions on emotional regulation, and six sessions on interpersonal relationships. Common themes of the program are how chronic stress and trauma impact the culturally specific Service concepts of self and identity, and adversely affect emotional regulation and relationships, therefore adversely impacting mental health and functioning. The purpose of the 12-week program is to improve psychological functioning in day-to-day life, to provide participants with mental health psychoeducation about chronic stress and trauma and its effects on mental health, and an improved level of emotional stability and functional skills in managing themselves and their relationships. In real terms, this means a capacity to either engage or continue in further treatment (if/as required), and to continue their lives with a range of skill sets that will improve their capacity to tolerate distress, build resilience, and maintain their interpersonal relationships. As per the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) guidelines, this is a phase 1, generalised intervention that provides both stabilisation and skills building. It is not a treatment program as it specifically avoids addressing individual trauma. Stabilization therapies are associated with moderate to large effect sizes for PTSD, emotion regulation and social/interpersonal outcomes, and are more effective when combined with skills development. GEARS meets all these criteria and will be delivered by accredited peer facilitators and peer- and non-peer mental health clinicians in order to evaluate whether a skills based and manualised program delivered by counsellors is as effective as when delivered by more highly qualified non-peer mental health clinicians, Peers are considered to be those who have lived experience in Military, Police or first responder organisations, and have been targeted in order to utilise the benefits of having facilitators who have lived experience and therefore the appropriate cultural knowledge to relate to participants, and serve as role models for healthy functioning. The study outcomes will be the primary factors of psychological health (as measured by a composite of screening tools for common mental health conditions); emotional regulation, (as measured by two emotional regulation scales); and functioning, (as measured by disability, quality of life, and resilience scales). Secondary outcomes are suicidal ideation, physical health, and psycho-social factors, which are again measured by a composite of different scales.

This feasibility, randomised, open-label, parallel group study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TBB in reducing sacroiliac joint pain, lumbar spine pain, and symphysis pubic pain associated with third trimester pregnancy. 90 eligible participants will be randomised into either Group A, where they will use The Belly Bed, an advanced maternity airbed, until delivery; or Group B, where they will use their own bed until delivery. Participants will be asked to complete surveys, including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to determine whether TBB helped reduce pain.

The current study aims to investigate the efficacy and acceptability of a collaborative autism-specific Positive Behaviour Support service delivered to regional, rural and remote clients via video-conferencing technology.

The primary objective of this study is to determine, in people with COPD, if a mobile pulmonary rehabilitation (m-PR) program is equivalent to face-to-face pulmonary rehabilitation in terms of improvements in exercise capacity (six minute walk test) and health status (COPD Assessment Test [CAT]). Participants will be randomly allocated into an m-PR group (intervention, n=50) or face-to-face pulmonary rehabilitation group (control, n=50) in a 1:1 ratio favouring the m-PR group. The research trial will involve sites in NSW across the Northern Sydney Local Health District.

A clinical research to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Presidio Medical Low Frequency spinal cord stimulation over a 15 day period in patients with chronic, intractable low back and/or leg pain.

This study is aiming to investigate participants thoughts and feedback on their sun protection practices and new technologies to assist with sunscreen reapplication. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 years or over, regularly use cosmetics and very fair to medium skin type Study details All participants will complete a 70 minute audio-recorded focus group at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation. Discussion includes sun safety practices and the concept of technologies to assist with sunscreen reapplication. This research will be used to influence future design and implementation of products that assist with sunscreen reapplication.

The CODEC study (Circulating tumOur Dna in Endometrial Cancer) is pilot project exploring whether circulating tumour DNA (cancer genetic material collected from a simple blood test) can be used to predict endometrial cancer recurrence and potentially guide treatment. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you have had a new diagnosis of a Type 2 endometrial cancer (which includes serous, clear cell, carcinosarcoma and high-grade (grade 3) endometrioid histologies) and are planned for surgery and have not had prior chemotherapy or radiation. Study details All patients enrolled in the study will have a comprehensive genomic tumour assessment and serial blood collections beginning pre-surgery and continuing for up to two years following surgery. Participants will also have MRI and PET scans. It is hoped that this research will help determine if genetic material collected using a simple blood test can help predict recurrence of endometrial cancer.

This study will investigate the real-world use of immunoglobulin therapy on clinical outcomes for patients with myeloma using the Australian and New Zealand Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry. Patients with the blood cancer myeloma are at risk of serious infection because of low levels of protective antibodies due to their condition and its treatment. Immunoglobulin therapy (made from plasma) is used to replace missing antibodies to prevent or treat infections in patients with blood cancers. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 and above, have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and participated in the Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry Study details This observational study will collect ‘real world’, up-to date Australian clinical and laboratory information on immunoglobulin use. Information on participants’ disease, progression, infections and immunoglobulin use will be documented in the registry at fixed time points after diagnosis. The results of this study will be important to provide better care for patients with myeloma and other blood cancers and to improve stewardship of the national blood supply. The study will also provide a new and lower cost framework for conducting future large clinical trials of immunoglobulin therapy in Australia in myeloma and in other similar conditions.