ANZCTR search results

To assess whether anaesthetic gases in trauma patients may contribute to liver damage.

Third and 4th degree tears occur during childbirth when an episiotomy (a cut made to enlarge the birth canal) extends to the anal sphincter. At the research hospital, higher than average rates of 3rd and 4th degree tears have been observed among women having their first child. Episiotomies are generally cut on an angle, away from the anus but studies suggest that the angle is often less than the recommended 45 degrees. One strategy to ensure a 45 degree angle and to potentially decrease 3rd and 4th degree tears may be to use curved scissors that naturally take the incision away from the anus. The proposed study will test this assumption by comparing straight and curved scissors to cut an episiotomy.

Meropenem is an antibiotic used in the treatment of serious infections. This study aims to investigate whether giving meropenem a by a longer infusion (3 hours) but a lower dose, enables the antibiotic to be in the bloodstream for at least the same amount of time as a higher dose given over a short time (30 minutes).

This study aims to investigate minocycline as an adjunctive treatment for unipolar depression. Participants will receive 200 mg/day of minocycline or placebo for 12 weeks with improvements on the MADRS being the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include potential improvements in functioning, quality of life and clincial impressions. Based on previous studies, minocycline should be well-tolerated for the duration of the study, however safety monitoring will also be reported as a secondary outcome.

The primary aims of the trial are (within the context of the RCT A*STEROID) 1) To evaluate the effects of betamethasone and dexamethasone on fetal cardiovascular status as assessed by the ultrasound parameters of umbilical artery Doppler, middle cerebral artery Doppler, ductus venosus Doppler, uterine artery Doppler, and myocardial performance index. 2) To evaluate the effects of betamethasone and dexamethasone on fetal cardiovascular status as assessed by computerized cardiotocograph (cCTG) using Dawes-Redman criteria. 3) To evaluate the effects of betamethasone and dexamethasone on placental weight, morphology and histological evidence of villous maturation postpartum, and correlate this with placental ultrasound and uterine artery Doppler findings.

This project will investigate the effect of restoration of transdermal Testosterone and Oestrogen on dry eye clinical indicators and biomarkers in post menopausal women. Association between these sex hormones levels and the measured parameters might be elucidated while suggesting for an option of dry eye treatment in this population.

The concept of non-technical skills training (NTST) arose in the aviation industry after observation that a number of avoidable incidents were caused by human error rather than mechanical failure. In medical training, clinical knowledge and skills are emphasised with little attention given to “human factors”. These encompass such aspects as leadership, team-working, communication and decision-making. Thus far, study in this area has been restricted to simulations. Our project aims to evaluate the impact of implementation of training in non-technical skills for our Medical Emergency Team (MET) service on team performance and patient outcomes. This will be a multi-partite quality improvement project run at the Lyell McEwin Hospital, a tertiary metropolitan hospital in Adelaide. We plan to perform a retrospective audit of existing MET service data to establish baseline data. Then a period of prospective study will occur before and after delivery of NTST to members of the MET service. Team attendances will be independently observed for demonstration of non-technical skills and patients will be tracked during their hospital admission. A pilot observation will also be conducted to validate the observational assessment tool and measure inter-rater reliability between the investigators. The primary outcomes will be 1) MET performance of non-technical skills as graded by a specifically developed qualitative assessment tool and 2) incidence of efferent limb failure as defined by a) requirement for a second MET attendance within 24 hours for the same calling criterion, b) unplanned admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) within 24 hours of MET attendance, c) unexpected cardiac arrest and/or death within 24 hours of MET attendance. Secondary outcomes will include hospital and ICU length-of-stay, and vital status at hospital discharge. These will be used as a comparator between all periods of the project. NTST will be delivered to MET members by the investigators in collaboration with a group of active instructors from QANTAS and the Royal Australian Air Force Reserves. Oversight will be provided by the hospital Safety and Quality Unit. The baseline audit will include 2000 patients and the observational stage of the study is anticipated to enrol 600 patients, equally divided between the before- and after-NTST periods. We aim to demonstrate that training in non-technical skills improves MET service performance leading to a reduction in incidence of efferent limb failure. The anticipation is that this will then extrapolate to reductions in length-of-stay and mortality.

The null hypothesis is that a scored, formalized questionnaire reflecting a focused history and clinical examination for a patient presenting with heel pain will not reliably and reproducibly identify patients with a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis in a population of patients presenting with foot and ankle complaints.

This project will investigate the effectiveness of two different types of resistance training programs and the influence of stage of maturation on responsiveness in adolescent (14-18 year old) male rugby union players. There is no debate about that resistance training is a safe approach to health and fitness in adolescents, but there is debate about the particular pattern of resistance training that is used. Therefore this project will compare the effects of two different training patterns that are similar in training load to determine whether training pattern influences outcomes in this age group. As a result of participating in either of the two RT programs the participants will experience improvements in their strength, power, speed, and body composition assessment. It is hypothesized that there will be no difference in the magnitude of change between the two different RT programs.

This study will look at patients diagnosed with recurrent erosion syndrome which is a problem where people affected have repeated episodes of abrasions of the cornea (clear portion of the front of the eye). It will examine the incidence of episodes of erosions following treatment with Diamond Burr Superficial Keratectomy (DBSK). This study will use information from each patient’s medical chart and ask each participant to answer a very quick questionnaire via telephone interview. The results compiled will help decide whether this treatment should be offered to more patients in the future.