ANZCTR search results

The PADDI Trial is a large (8,880 patients) international, multicentre, prospective, randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel assessment, stratified, non-inferiority safety and effectiveness study. It’s purpose is to establish the safety of the administration of 8mg of dexamethasone to adult patients undergoing non-urgent surgical procedures under general anaesthesia of at least two hours duration and requiring at least one night’s stay in hospital postoperatively. Patients will be stratified according to whether or not they are known to have diabetes. The primary outcome is the incidence of surgical site infection at 30 days postoperatively. Secondary outcomes include infection at other sites, and the incidence of chronic post-surgical pain at one year postoperatively. The influence of diabetic status and the quality of control of diabetes on all outcomes will be specifically explored.

Of the one in four young people who are diagnosed with mental disorders, only 35% seek professional help. There are many barriers preventing young people from seeking help such as: lack of recognition of mental health problems, lack of awareness about appropriate mental health services, readiness to seek help, and the stigma associated with mental illness and seeking professional health. Technological solutions have been identified as one of the key areas that should be utilised to improve treatments and access to care. Young people often seek information about health online and often prefer anonymous sources of help to traditional services. Nevertheless, despite the broad interest and vast amount of online services available to assist young people with mental health problems, evaluation is rarely conducted to determine the impact of online services on help-seeking. Focusing particularly on young adults aged 18 to 25 years, we aim to investigate the effects of a dedicated online tool to facilitate help-seeking in young adults compared to usual search strategies. All surveys and recruitment will be conducted online. Young adults will be asked to complete four surveys at baseline, post-intervention, one month and three months. This project is of international relevance as one of the first dedicated online tool to facilitate help-seeking for young adults and one of the few to evaluate access to care as an outcome. It will also help inform policy and practice with evidence on whether technical solutions can increase help- seeking for young adults using a stepped-care approach.

The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between higher levels of mindfulness on trait self-control and on the intention-behaviour relationship in the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Further, the study will investigate the mechanisms by which mindfulness affects behavioural change outcomes, as indicated by daily fruit and vegetable consumption over a four week period. The hypothesis is that higher levels of mindfulness will be associated with higher levels of trait self control. Further, higher levels of mindfulness will strengthen the intention-behaviour relationship as demonstrated by increased fruit and vegetable consumption in the behaviour/mindfulness change group, compared to the standard behaviour change group: H1: There will be a difference between the standard behaviour intervention (BI) group and the behaviour intervention + mindfulness (BIM) group in terms of behaviour outcome (fruit & vegetable intake). H2: The relationship in H1 will be mediated by trait self-control and levels of mindfulness. H3: Compared to the BI group, the BIM group will report higher levels of mindfulness, which will result in higher levels of self-control.

We are investigating the use of a parent-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program for treating anxiety difficulties in children aged four to six with Asperger’s Syndrome/High Functioning Autism. Parent-based CBT programs offer an alternative to traditional child-based CBT programs which may be too intellectually demanding for children under the age of seven. Moreover, parent-based CBT programs have be found to effective in treating anxiety in young neuro-typical children and older children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The design is between groups, repeated measures RCT in which parents will be assigned to one of two conditions: treatment or waitlist control. It is hypothesized that from pre- to post- treatment children of parents in the CBT group, compared to children of parents in the waitlist control group, will demonstrate a significantly greater improvement in emotional awareness and a significantly greater reduction in anxiety. Additionally, it is hypothesized that from pre- to post- treatment, parents in the CBT group, compared to parents in the waitlist group, will demonstrate a greater reduction in parenting stress and parenting distress as well as a greater improvement in parental self-efficacy and parental satisfaction. Finally, it is hypothesized that pre- to post- treatment improvement for children and parents in the CBT group will be maintained or improved upon at 3-month follow up.

Aims and hypotheses: To examine the efficacy of novel versus traditional exercise therapies on metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes. We hypothesize that all exercise interventions will improve abdominal, liver and pancreas fat levels, insulin sensitivity, fitness and cardiovascular health compared with control.

This observational study aims to explore the use of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (dCE-MRI) in predicting treatment outcome in patients with anal cancer. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above and have been diagnosed with anal canal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) managed with definitive chemoradiotherapy with concurrent Mitomycin-C and 5-FU. Study details All participants will continue their standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy as planned. Patients participating in this study will have multiparametric MRI's performed at the following four time points: 1) prior to chemoradiotherapy, 2) during the second week of treatment, 3) during the fourth week of treatment, 4) at 6-8 weeks post treatment. Each scan involves the use of an injected contrast agent and is of approximately 45 minutes length. Participants will be followed-up for 6 months to determine treatment outcomes. Correlations between the different types of MRIs and tumour response will determine whether DW-MRI and dCE-MRI can predict tumour response and treatment outcome.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a common neurological disorder that results from an injury occurring to the developing brain. People who have CP often have a common symptom of spasticity which affects how muscles function and stretch. They have muscles that are smaller, weaker and don’t stretch as easily compared to typically developing people. These muscle changes affect walking ability and may worsen with time. Resistance training (“strength” or “weight” training) leads to increases in muscle size and strength of the muscle being trained, however the impact of resistance training on muscle stretch and walking ability has not been thoroughly investigated. This research project aims to: 1. Compare the impact of progressive resistance training combined with functional exercise training on muscle strength and stretch. 2. Determine if changes in muscle strength and stretch following exercise training impact on walking ability and functional capacity in the short and medium terms. 34 adolescents with CP will be recruited (17 participants in each group) to undertake a 12 week training program. The exercise training program will consist of 3 sessions per week (total sessions=36), made up of 5 lower limb resistance exercises, followed by 2-3 functional anaerobic exercises involving movement and agility skills such as jumping, cornering and stair climbing. The calf muscles will be specifically targeted, as they are the most commonly affected muscles in CP and are a key muscle group involved in walking. If, as we believe, muscle properties change following resistance training, there may be long term benefits of this type of training in slowing the deterioration of muscle problems in people with spastic type CP and improving walking and functional capacity.

ADPKD is an inherited condition, characterized by the growth of hundreds of cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in the kidney. This results in an enlarged kidney and pain, high blood pressure and an increased risk of chronic kidney disease. Kidney failure usually develops in late adulthood in about half of affected people. There is currently no treatment that can cure ADPKD or stop cysts forming and growing in the kidneys. In the last few years, people with ADPKD have been advised to drink more water to suppress anti-diuretic hormone (ADH, or vasopressin). However, it is not clear if this approach is feasible in the long-term and without risk and/or if there is an ideal amount of water to drink that will benefit disease progression. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of prescribed water intake in ADPKD. Eligible patients with ADPKD will be randomised (1:1) to either: Group A (control) to continue with their usual (ad libitum) water consumption (including standard treatment) or Group B (intervention) to adjust their daily water intake to reduce the urine osmolality to less than or equal to 270 mosmol/L for the next 36 months in addition to their standard treatment. The volume of prescribed water consumption will be calculated according to free water clearance based on baseline and progress measurements of 24 hour urine collection. All patients will be expected to have blood collections at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months. In Group B subjects, additional samples will be collected at Week 3 and 6 for safety check and also titration of the water prescription. After the Month 36 visit, Group B patients may return to their previous ad libitum water consumption habits.

This study will examine the effects of rocuronium, a non-depolarising muscle relaxant when given subcutaneously. In this study, we will compare the effects of subcutaneous rocuronium against intravenous rocuronium. We will measure how long until it works, how much effect it has and how long it lasts.

Despite the burden of acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) among children being a substantial cause of childhood morbidity and associated costs to families, communities and the health system, data on disease burden in urban children are lacking. Consequently evidence-based decision-making, data management guidelines, health resourcing for primary health care services and prevention strategies are lacking. This study aims to comprehensively describe the epidemiology, impact and outcomes of ARI in urban children in the greater Brisbane area.