ANZCTR search results

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in improving the quality of life and mental health of older adults living in aged care facilities. We also aim to determine the feasibility of this approach when implemented as part of a psychology student placement program and its acceptance to older adults and their professional carers. Older adults living in residential care facilities often report poor quality of life and are at a high risk depression and anxiety. Despite this, this population has very limited access to nonpharmacological interventions and support. Our team is currently establishing a placement program for Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) candidates, who will deliver a structured program of ACT to residents across three aged care facilities, under supervision, in 2013. This therapy has proven effective and popular for use with younger adults, but has not yet been evaluated in aged care settings. The placement program offers an opportunity for future clinical psychologists to gain experience in working with older adults, and helps address the shortage of trained mental health clinicians in aged care settings. This study will use a randomized controlled design to evaluate the effectiveness of this student-led intervention in improving quality of life, as well as reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, compared to a control group. The results of this study will be used to inform our future training program, as well as contribute to the literature on the effectiveness of psychological interventions with older adults residing in residential care settings. Participants will include 36 aged care residents who will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control group, with control participants offered the intervention at the end of the study. The intervention consists of 12 individual 60minute sessions delivered by a student psychologist twice weekly. The intervention will be evaluated using measures related to quality of life, symptoms of depression and anxiety, with satisfaction and feasibility determined in postintervention interviews with the participants and facility staff.

This research project will investigate whether the hormone, Melatonin, is a useful treatment for oxidative stress in pregnancies affected by preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is one of the most common diseases in pregnancy and is potentially very dangerous for both mother and baby. Oxidative stress in preeclampsia occurs when a pregnant mother and the baby in the womb are exposed to certain noxious chemicals produced by the placenta. Oxidative stress can cause serious damage to the mother and baby, including premature birth, brain damage and even death. Melatonin is a strong antioxidant and is been used to effectively treat oxidative stress in pre-clinical trials. It has also been studied intensively in both animals and humans and has shown to be very safe. In this trial, we hope to use melatonin to reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress during pregnancies affected by preeclampsia. To do this, we will give mothers diagnosed with preeclampsia melatonin (10mg) tablets three times a day. We will measure levels of oxidative stress before, during and after treatment in the mother's blood, as well as in blood from the placenta after birth. Other non-invasive measurements of mother and baby health will also be measured including the outcome of their pregnancies. This will give us an indication whether melatonin is helping to protect the unborn baby from oxidative stress. Participation in this project will be undertaken during the normal care of a woman with preeclampsia admitted to hospital. She will be cared for in the usual way with best practice and there will be regular blood samples twice per week as is normally done. Ultrasound scans to check the health of the baby will be done at least weekly. Samples will be taken from the maternal blood or from material that would normally be discarded. No samples will be obtained directly from the baby. If this project is successful, it will potentially give us the very first and only treatment for preeclampsia.

The study aims to investigate the utilisation and perceptions of acupuncture and foot mobilisation by australian podiatrists. It is of our interested to find out how popular these relatively new techniques are among podiatists in Australia and whether these therapies are contributing to better patient care.

The aim of the study is to test the effectiveness of an online resource to increase physical activity (primarily walking) and improve diet among cancer survivors living in South Australia. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above and have any type of cancer (except skin cancer) treated with curative intent. You need to be a permanent resident of South Australia, and you should not be undergoing any active treatment. You will also require access to the internet. Trial details Participants in this trial will be randomly (by chance) allocated to one of two groups. Participants in the intervention group will take part in a 12-week lifestyle program during which they will wear a pedometer and use an online resource. The main focus of the online resource is a step log where participants enter their daily step counts, perception of exertion and feeling daily. Based on this information they will be emailed weekly step count goals. The website will also include an interactive forum that links participants to other cancer survivors. There will be a virtual notice board where community service organisers can advertise events and activities relating to physical activity and healthy eating. Information on healthy eating will be provided based on the Cancer Council Australia's nutrition guidelines which supports the recommendations in The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (developed by the Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing). Participants are free to use (or not use) the program at their discretion. Participants in the other group will receive a pedometer only for the first 12 weeks, after which time they will be offered the full program. Health measures such as height, weight, blood pressure, waist and hip girth will be collected from each patient at the start and end of the program, and 3 months after program completion. Participants will also be asked to fill out questionnaires relating to their physical and psychological health.

Asthma affects approximately 20% of children, is a common cause of hospital admissions, and we do not know how to stop children developing it. Infantile eczema is also common, affecting about a third of children. Infants with eczema often later develop asthma. It is hypothesised sensitisation to allergens can occur via damaged skin associated with eczema, which then increases the risk of asthma. If this hypothesis is correct, it may be possible to prevent asthma by improving the skin barrier function in infants. There is evidence that a ceramide based emollient (which contains the major components of skin) can improve skin barrier function, while current treatments for eczema do not. This study is aims to determine if twice daily application of a ceramide dominant emollient can improve infant skin barrier function and prevent the development of eczema in high risk children.

Peripheral intravenous cannulation is a commonly performed procedure. The insertion of an intravenous cannula is usually uncomplicated, however it can be difficult in certain patients, including hypovolemic or critically ill patients, IV drug users, patients having repeated courses of chemotherapy, and obese patients. Perceived ease and efficiency of cannulation is related to the experience of the cannulator. It has been shown that, when certain manoeuvres are performed, for example, warming the skin prior to insertion of a peripheral venous cannula, both the time taken for insertion and number of attempts required for cannulation are reduced. A randomised controlled trial evaluated ultrasound guided peripheral venous cannulation in patients with a history of difficult intravenous cannulation, however it found no significant difference between the two groups in time to successful cannulation, number of attempts or number of subjects in whom IV cannulation was successful on the first attempt. It is common practice for health professionals to tap a vein, prior to cannulation, on the assumption that it will improve the perceived ease of cannulation and therefore the likelihood of successful cannulation. This assumption is based on anecdotal evidence and a rigorous investigation of the effect of tapping of the vein on the time taken and the number of attempts required to cannulate has not been undertaken. The optimisation of conditions is important for this commonly performed procedure. Failed attempts at cannulation can lead to fear induced vasoconstriction by activation of the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in subsequent attempts being more difficult. Multiple attempts at cannulation are also unpleasant for the patient. We investigated whether or not tapping of a selected vein prior to cannulation improved the perceived ease of cannulation and the success of cannulation.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of an online intervention in improving the sun protective behaviour of Australian adults. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above and live in metropolitan, regional or coastal areas of Queensland, Australia. Trial details: Participants in this trial will be randomly (by chance) allocated to one of three groups: the intervention group, the information only group, or the control group. Participants in the intervention group will receive the online intervention which focuses on encouraging supportive sun protective attitudes and beliefs, fostering perceptions of normative support for sun protection behaviour and increasing perceptions of control/self-efficacy over using sun protection. It will be delivered during one online session lasting between 20 and 25 minutes. Participants in the information only group will be asked to view a short online DVD and three fact sheets relating to sun-protective behaviour which are currently available from Cancer Council Queensland’s website. Data on intentions to sun protect and sun protection behaviour will be collected via questionnaire immediately prior to the intervention (Time 1), immediately following the intervention (Time 2) and at one week (Time 3) and four weeks (Time 4) post-intervention. The control group will not be asked to do anything beyond completing the 3 questionnaires. The study will provide valuable information about the effectiveness of the intervention in improving the sun protective behaviour of Australian adults – a population which has the highest incident rates of skin cancer in the world (Queensland).

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Vitamin C in patients with cancer pain. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above and have pain related to cancer or its treatment, for which you are receiving regular daily opioids (painkillers). Trial details All participants in this trial will take two 1 gram tablets of vitamin C daily for 3 consecutive days in addition to your normal pain medications. You will be asked to complete some forms regarding pain medication use and pain relief over this 3 day period. This will enable us to determine whether there is any benefit in pain relief and/or your need to take extra or breakthrough pain medications.

Laparoscopic appendicectomy is one of the most commonly performed urgent abdominal operations. Current practices of Irrigation or Suction-only are largely determined by individual surgeon’s bias based on intra-operative findings. To date, there is only one randomized, controlled trial comparing irrigation with suction only in children and none in adults. There is some retrospective data in children and adults. All of the existing data suggests “no difference” between these operative methods; in fact, some retrospective data suggest higher intra-abdominal abscess rates in irrigation groups, however there has never been a randomized trial in adults. There remains clinical equipoise and current practice is widely varied. Our hypothesis is that there is no difference between the two surgical methods and we aim to demonstrate that it doesn't matter to the patient which method is used.

People with knee osteoarthritis (OA) often have leg muscle weakness and difficulty moving and walking. Impaired muscular performance is a major determinant of daily function and disability. However, it is not known if loss of muscle mass and strength in knee OA occurs as an indirect result of reduced limb use, or if muscle itself is a direct target of the degenerative processes active in OA. Given that personal mobility is an essential factor for healthy independent living of those who suffer from this chronic degenerative condition, research into the preservation of muscle mass is essential for developing successful therapy to restore and maintain effective limb use. In this study we aim to determine the effect of muscle inflammation on muscle function and impaired walking pattern relative to OA joint degeneration.