ANZCTR search results

To determine whether contact lenses coated with melimine can be worn safely and prevent bacterial colonization of their surface. Both the dispensing optometrists and contact lens wearers will be masked.

This pilot study aims to develop a new approach to improve protection against pneumococcal disease, using a probiotic (Bifidobacterium Bi-07) to boost immune responses to and reduce invasion by the pneumococcal bacteria. We are particularly interested in whether Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 given early in life, together with vaccination, can improve protection against pneumococcal infection and therefore reduce disease. This study will involve 30 babies and the use of Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 is currently experimental.

This study will evaluate whether a simple eye test could detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier than current techniques. We have already found some changes to the blood vessels in the retina, at the back of the eye, in Alzheimer’s disease. This new study will investigate if amyloid plaques, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain, also occur in the retina. A specialised eye camera will be used to take photographs of the retina. In order to highlight amyloid plaques in these photographs, participants will be asked to take a pudding containing Curcumin once per day for 7 days. Curcumin, the main ingredient of the common food spice turmeric, has been reported to have many beneficial health effects, and is being tested in other trials for possible therapeutic benefit in Alzheimer’s disease. Curcumin also has molecular and optical properties that may enable us to image amyloid plaques and hence detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier. It is hoped that this technique could allow us to detect Alzheimer’s disease before the cognitive signs become apparent, hence participants with normal cognition as well as those with memory problems and diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease will be recruited for this study.

Prolonged sitting at work has been identified as a significant occupational health concern, and there is a need for effective interventions that reduce potentially unhealthy sitting behaviour in particular occupational groups such as office workers. This study will compare the effectiveness of two simple occupational health interventions in reducing these potentially unhealthy sitting behaviour in office workers. This study will determine whether providing office workers with an adjustable sit-stand desk and individually targeted education is more effective in decreasing sitting behaviours than education alone or providing no intervention.

The purpose of this project is to develop a quality of life instrument specific to the treatment effects in autoimmune bullous disease. Patients with clinically and histologically diagnose autoimmune bullous disease will be recruited and interviewed regarding the ways their disease affects their quality of life. Based on these responses, a pilot questionnaire will be developed and given to 70 patients. Statistical analysis will then be performed based on the results of these questionnaires to determine whether the instrument is statistically sound or not. If it is validated, the instrument can then be used as a tool to measure quality of life in patients with autoimmune blistering skin diseases

The study aims to assist individuals on their road to recovery following a motor vehicle accident. All participants will be required to complete an on-line survey. Half of the participants will then receive feedback regarding their risk of developing chronic pain and post traumatic distress, following a motor vehicle accidents. These participants will further receive information regarding how they can prevent the development of such conditions and/or manage them better if they experience the symptoms. The remaining half of the participants will receive all the information 6 months following the initial survey.

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have an impaired capacity to regulate body temperature. This study will investigate the acute effects of body heating in patients with CHF and also the effects of repetitive exposure to whole body heating. Participants will be recruited from general Cardiology at RPH, from private Cardiology clinics and from the Cardiac Transplant Unit and Advanced Heart Failure Service at RPH. Study hypotheses: 1. Patients with CHF will exhibit impaired cardiovascular responses to an acute bout of body heating, compared to age, gender and BMI matched controls. 2. Repeated whole body heating will improve abnormal cardiovascular function evident in response to body heating in patients with CHF.

We will evaluate whether a course of cognitive training can reduce symptoms of FOG in PD. This study will randomize patients into either a 7-week program of cognitive training or a sham control condition. Treatment response will be assessed by video recordings of specific walking tasks (TUG), taken before and after training. In addition, functional brain imaging whilst patients perform a validated virtual reality gait paradigm will be used to determine the brain activation patterns associated with improvements in FOG. This project will hopefully identify an effective novel treatment for FOG that does not involve pharmacological or surgical intervention. The use of brain imaging will also allow us to see why patients might have differential responses to therapy. Identifying the nature of these relationships will hopefully advance our understanding of freezing and lead to new directions for targeting therapy.

This study is evaluating the effect of less frequent azacitidine treatment in elderly patients with high risk myelodysplasia/acute myeloid leukaemia. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged over 65 years and have been diagnosed with high risk myelodysplasia or acute myeloid leukaemia on bone marrow biopsy. Trial details: All participants in this trial will received the drug azacitidine at a dose of 75mg/m2 three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for two consecutive weeks every 4 weeks. Participants will be assessed for up to 18 months post treatment in order to evaluate survival and response to treatment.

The RAPID Study – Lay Description Rapid Administration of iron Polymaltose whilst In the operating Department Background, aims & objectives We aim to show that giving intravenous iron polymaltose over 15 minutes to patients who are under general anaesthesia is safe and not associated with a significant incidence of low blood pressure or other adverse effects. Anaemia and iron deficiency are very common in surgical patients, a recent audit at KEMH showed an incidence of around 18%. In patients undergoing surgery it has been linked with an increased risk of needing a blood transfusion, slower recovery from surgery and an increase in postoperative complications. Patient often suffer from decreased energy, fatigue and poor ability to concentrate, all of which will affect their quality of life. Iron polymaltose is an intravenous iron medication commonly used to correct anaemia and iron deficiency. It has been used in Australia for over 40 years, has a very good safety record and about 4-500 women a year receive iron polymaltose at KEMH currently. It is usually administered as a slow infusion over 1.5 – 2.5 hours in a general ward setting. Common adverse effects can include headache, nausea, flushing and muscle cramps all of which are not as relevant to patients whilst they are under general anaesthesia. Low blood pressure can occur less commonly. Serious adverse events such as anaphylaxis are extremely rare and are not related to the speed at which iron polymaltose is given. Oral iron tablets are not effective in many patients for a number of reasons. It would labour intensive, expensive and inconvenient to bring all these patients back to a ward for a 1-2 hour infusion of iron polymaltose after surgery. Many other intravenous iron preparations, with similar pharmacological properties, have been shown to be safe when given over similar short periods of time and we believe this will be the case with iron polymaltose too. Some anaesthetists (in Australia and NZ) have already administered iron polymaltose in this manner with no anecdotal reports of any problems, however we believe it warrants formal evaluation. Study Population 100 Adult patients with anaemia or iron deficiency, undergoing general anaesthesia. Study Design and Methods Prospective, interventional study. Patients will act as their own controls. Temporary low blood pressure is quite common after the initial injection of anaesthetic medications used to start a patients general anaesthetic. We think that the proportion of patients with low blood pressure following iron polymaltose administration will be significantly less than this. We estimate we would need 83 patients, but because we anticipate some dropouts, or incomplete data we aim to recruit 100 (across both sites). Because anaemia is so common we think we should be able to get this many patients in 12 months or less. Outcomes Primary outcome will be the incidence of significant low blood pressure following the administration of iron polymaltose (definition = systolic BP less than 80). Secondary outcomes, will be the incidence of all adverse effects as ascertained by questionnaire 2 hours and 2 days after surgery.