ANZCTR search results

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of Gamma3 intramedullary nails versus sliding hip screws on health-related quality of life as measured by the EuroQuol-5D at 52 weeks in individuals with trochanteric fractures. Secondary outcomes include revision surgery rates, fracture healing rates, fracture related adverse events, and health-related quality of life, including the Parker mobility score and Harris Hip Score.

Persistent asthma is a major problem yet none of the current therapies do more than control the condition. The long-term solution is to prevent asthma from progressing to the persistent form. The major risk factors are: family history, early allergy and recurrent severe lower respiratory infections (sLRI) in the early life. We will conduct a randomized clinical trial to prevent sLRI using a novel bacterial-derived immunostimulant (OM-85) in infants at high risk of developing asthma. OM-85 works by priming the immune system so that body can respond quickly to infections. This will help reduce damage to the lungs during sLRI's and may prevent asthma from developing.

CanPrevent: This study investigates the feasibility and short-term effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention for first degree relatives of colorectal cancer survivors. Who is it for? First degree relatives (parents, siblings, and children) of someone with a confirmed diagnosis of primary colorectal cancer (C18-C20, C218). Intervention Details Participants will receive six x one hour telephone health coaching sessions over a six week period delivered by study-trained health professionals (‘health coaches’). They will also receive (i) a participant handbook including educational information on lifestyle factors and colorectal cancer screening, (ii) worksheets and (ii) a pedometer. Project Outcomes This project will provide essential information to inform the development of a larger scale randomised controlled trial of the approach. If successful, short term study outcomes will include improved lifestyle factors and health-related quality of life potentially resulting in reduced risk of colorectal cancer, other cancers and other chronic conditions.

COPD is a leading cause of death in Australia and its prevalence is increasing globally. The majority of disease burden and costs in COPD are due to treatment of exacerbations, with hospitalisations being the major component. Almost all comorbidities exist more frequently in COPD patients compared to matched elderly populations. One third of COPD patients admitted to hospital have at least four coded comorbidities, and these add to the length of hospital stay. In selected populations of COPD patients, training in the use of COPD action plans reduces COPD exacerbation severity, emergency department visits, hospitalisations and health costs and improves health status. However, overlap in symptoms of COPD and comorbidities complicate the use of COPD action plans in the large group of patients with comorbidities. For example, in a COPD patient with comorbid cardiovascular disease, worsening of his dyspnoea can relate to either disease. Use of only a COPD action plan could lead to incorrect actions and/or delay of proper treatment. We have developed self-treatment training with ongoing nurse support for complex COPD patients. Feedback to patients from nurses is vital to optimize use of action plans. We will enrol 300 COPD patients (150 in each of Australia and the Netherlands) with at least one of the following comorbidity: ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, or anxiety/depression. All patients will complete daily symptom diaries for 12 months. Control patients will receive usual care and training in diary completion. Intervention patients will be trained in the use of individualized action plans. We hypothesize that this novel self-treatment strategy will reduce exacerbation severity, hospitalisation stay and costs, and improve quality of life.

Fever is an adaptive response to infections which occurs widely in the animal kingdom. The suppression of fever increases the risk of mortality in animals, although the effect of antipyretics in critically ill patients is unknown. The objective of this study is to determine whether paracetamol influences the risk of mortality in critically ill patients with fever and known or suspected infection. A phase 2b double blind randomised placebo controlled trial of paracetamol will be undertaken in 700 patients with fever and known or suspected infection in New Zealand and Australia under the auspices of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group (ANZICS CTG). If either the aggressive or permissive antipyretic regimes influence outcomes including survival in patients with fever and infection, the findings will have a major impact on the burden of infectious disease in New Zealand and internationally. Pilot study registered at http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12611000981921.aspx

In this study we will evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, safety and initial clinical benefits of an online intervention (HORYZONS) designed to maintain the benefits of early intervention services for psychosis over the long term. We expect that HORYZONS will be well-received, safe and seen as a valuable treatment option by young people suffering from psychosis.

This study aims to build on the work by Wisoff 2007 published in circulation that showed superior benefits of high intensity interval training over moderate intensity continuous training in heart failure patients. It is hoped that with a larger sample size and longer follow up and intervention period the primary outcome, mortality will be significantly improved.

The aim of this study is to understand how the body adapts to a mild cold temperature and whether this differs in people who have evidence of the following metabolic abnormalities: a large waist circumference, high blood fats, low "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels. We believe that those who have these abnormalities will not be able to adapt as well to a cold temperature than those without the adnormalities. This will be detected by us as a smaller rise in metabolic rate and the healthy blood protein adiponectin, both before and after a simple meal, like glucose.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory condition characterised by dyspnoea, excessive sputum production, chronic cough, bronchitis and emphysema. Functionally, exercise tolerance is poor for people with COPD and is linked to difficulty in performing daily tasks. More specifically, exercise difficulties are due partly to dyspnoea and lower limb skeletal muscle dysfunction. The benefits of gentle exercise that does not exacerbate the disease while improving exercise tolerance is salient. Whole-body vibration is a mode of gentle exercise known to improve muscular function of the lower limbs, yet efficacy has not been investigated for a whole-body vibration intervention conducted in a community setting for people with COPD.

This study evaluates a new non-invasive technique for early diagnosis of melanoma. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are at least 18 years old and have a pigmented lesion that is suspected of being a melanoma which requires surgical removal. Trial details: This research study proposes to use a novel non-invasive method called Epidermal Genetic Information Retrieval or EGIR to assess skin lesions that are suspicious for melanoma. The method of retrieval is via tape stripping. Tape stripping allows recovery of cells of the upper epidermis (superficial most skin layer). These skin cells will be studied to identify markers capable of distinguishing between melanoma and benign (harmless) pigmented lesions. Unlike standard biopsies, tape stripping is non-invasive, rapid, easy to perform and painless. Therefore, the identification of such markers by this method could help physicians determine the nature of suspicious lesions of the skin without having to perform a biopsy. Tape stripping has been tested previously and has shown promise in identifying markers for other skin disorders and is now being tested through this research study for melanoma. All participants in this study will undergo collection of skin samples via the tape stripping procedure. The tape (0.7inches in diameter), similar to a band-Aid will be applied to the skin lesion and rubbed in circular motions. 4 skin tapes will be placed on the same skin lesion. A normal looking skin area (an area that does not have a lesion) will be used as a comparator. After the skin taping procedure is completed, the skin lesion will be biopsied or removed as per the normal clinical practice. The tape strips will be couriered to the Sponsor DermTech International where they will be analysed. The Biopsy specimen will be sent to a nominated pathologist for this study and results will be sent back to the investigator. The tissue slides will be sent to an independent pathologist for a second review.