ANZCTR search results

To continuously evaluate glucose concentrations and electrocardiogram changes in patients with pre-existing diabetes who are discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), so as to evaluate whether a relationship exists between asymptomatic hypoglycaemia and cardiac arrhythmias in this cohort.

Many variables impact upon a patient's satisfaction with the way their pain is managed in the Emergency Department (ED). These include the length of time before they receive analgesia, the nature of the analgesia, ancillary means of managing pain (e.g. ice packs), staff courtesy etc. In three studies, we have observed that a high level of patient satisfaction with their pain management is associated with the provision of ‘pain advice’ i.e. being told by the ED staff that ‘pain management is important and that the patient should tell the staff if they have pain’. Providing pain advice (as above) should be part of the routine management of patients with pain. However, this does not always happen and standard care may be sup-optimal. In this study, we will randomize patients into two groups: 1) standard care, 2) standard care plus provision of pain advice (as above). We hypothesize that the provision of pain advice will result in increased patient satisfaction measured ~48 hours after discharge from the ED. If demonstrated, this will be powerful evidence that will inform the development of best-practice pain management guidelines. This is a low risk study. All patients will receive at least standard care. The intervention arm will receive a component of care that should be provided as part of standard care but is often not provided.

The next few decades will see a substantial increase in the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, a common and debilitating microvascular complication of diabetes that progresses largely as a result of poor blood sugar control. Our study responds to the urgent need to assist patients with type 2 diabetes and early diabetic retinopathy to achieve optimal blood sugar control to reduce the risk of irreversible vision loss. We expect our novel personalised routine eye consultation, which is based on evidence-based approaches for behaviour change, to educate and promote long-term behaviour change and lead to clinically significant reductions in blood glucose in a cost effective manner. In this project, we will conduct a randomised controlled trial to investigate the clinical, cognitive and behavioural outcomes of our novel personalised eye consultation model, using the individual’s own retinal images and evidence-based strategies for behavioural change, to motivate and support patients with diabetic retinopathy and poor blood glucose control.

The aim of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of the HSV-2 DNA vaccine. We will also investigate whether the vaccine is immunogenic i.e. if it has any effect on the immune system and what type of response is induced. The study will also investigate the vaccine’s effectiveness in combating and/or treating HSV-2 infection

This study assesses the impact of Clonidine a commonly prescribed medication for the treatment of Attention Deficit hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on behavioural and brain imaging measures of cognition. Specifically, it measures the impact of Clonidine on key behaviours that are altered in ADHD including, response inhibition, attention and error processing.

The study will assess the relative and combined effects of volunteering on seniors’ physical and mental health. Comparisons will be made between a cohort undertaking volunteering activities and a cohort in a control condition (customary activity). A multi-method intervention approach will be used to obtain experimental and attitudinal data from individuals aged 60+ years. Data will be collected over six months to capture information relating to activity initiation, continuance, and attrition. The study will identify the health benefits for older people of different levels and types of volunteering and the major factors impacting the recruitment and retention of older volunteers.

Mobile technology, especially tablet computer use, is increasingly common among children. With displacement of other activities and prolonged extreme postures, this use may have harmful effects on physical health including decreased physical activity, increased sedentary time, and increased risk of musculoskeletal discomfort. Yet despite a call from parents and media for best practice guidelines on tablet computer use, there has been no research to date on the physical effects of current tablet computer use on children. This experimental, laboratory study will examine the activity and postures while children use tablet computers, and compare this to two typical sedentary play conditions: watching television (screentime) and “free-play” (non-screen). In a randomized, balanced, within subject design, 24 children (ages 3-5, 12 male and 12 female) will participate in three 15 minute play conditions: tablet computer, television watching, “free play”. The physical environment will be kept constant and only the activity (TV, iPad or freeplay with toys) will vary. Physical activity (using hip and wrist accelerometry), gross postures (systematic video coding), head and trunk angle position and variation (Vicon three-dimensional motion analysis) and upper trapezius and cervical erector spinae muscle activity (surface myoelectric activity), will be measured during each of the three conditions and compared using linear mixed models.

This is an analysis of weight and diabetes outcomes ten years after gastric band surgery to treat obesity. Participants will be identified from a clinical database, which will provide baseline data. Ten-year data will be collected prospectively during routine clinic attendance.

Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), derived from the fruit Garcinia cambogia, reduces the rate of glucose absorption and decreases postprandial glycaemia in rodents, but its effects in humans are unknown. We aim to investigate the effects of small intestinal perfusion with HCA on glucose absorption, incretin (GIP and GLP-1) release and glycaemia in response to a subsequent intraduodenal glucose infusion in both health and type 2 diabetes. Healthy subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes will received an intraduodenal infusion of HCA (2800mg in water) or control (water alone) over 60min, followed by 60g glucose infused over 120min, in a double blind randomized crossover design. In the healthy subjects, 5g 3-O-methylglucose (3-OMG) will be co-infused with glucose as a marker of glucose absorption. Blood will be sampled frequently for subsequent assays.

This study aims to find out how achievable it is to find participants for a trial that involves cancer patients whom despite taking recommended pain relief medications continue to experience problems with pain management, and add either dexamethasone or placebo to their usual medications and evaluate the response. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged greater than 18 years and continue to experience pain related to cancer or its treatment, despite taking recommended pain relief medications. Study details Participants in this study will be randomly (by chance) allocated to one of two groups. Participants in one group will receive daily injections of a steroid medication known as dexamethasone for 5 days. The injection will either be administered intravenously (i.e. directly into the vein) or subcutaneously (i.e. into the skin). Participants in the other group will receive daily saline injections instead. Saline is an inactive (placebo) treatment. Participants will not know which group they are in until the end of the study. All participants will be asked to complete a number of questionnaires over a period of 14 days in order to evaluate their pain levels and quality of life. Total opioid dose received, overall survival and the occurrence of any adverse events will also be recorded. Data collected from this study will help us determine how achievable it is to proceed to conduct a larger trial.