ANZCTR search results

This project seeks to explore the efficacy of a standard nutritional supplement in comparison to a standard nutritional supplement enhanced with creatine monohydrate, glutamine and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate in maintaining or improving functional ability in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It combines the expertise of nutrition and dietetics with neurologists to enhance the outcomes of this population group where little is known of their nutritional needs since the standard introduction of steroid therapy. The primary outcome measures functional ability using the StepWatch Activity Monitor. Secondary outcome measures include 6 minute walk test, DXA to measure body composition, functional questionnaires and quality of life questionnaires. Our dietary supplement that we propose to use in this study is contained within a high protein shake, and includes a multivitamin, vitamin D and essential fatty acids given alone or in conjunction with creatine monohydrate (CrM), glutamine, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB). This will be a 12 month, randomized control cross over trial using 24 age matched pairs with a 2 month lead in period and 2 week washout.

Awake fibreoptic intubation (AFOI) is the method of choice for intubation and securing of a potentially difficult airway. Routine practice worldwide involves ‘topicalisation’ (numbing) of the airway with Local Anaesthetic (LA) to enable a fiber optic camera to be advanced through the airway and into the trachea, usually with the patient awake and under no sedative influence. Currently there are no data on the effects of the LA used this way on cognitive or motor function, and patients are allowed to return home shortly after such a procedure. There is no advice given with regards to driving or operating heavy machinery despite anesthetists who have had this procedure describing ‘funny feelings’ following administration of topical LA and multiple studies that report subjective feeelings of dizzines, tingling, euphoria and dysphoria We wish to assess the impact of LA on reaction time (and hence both neural and motor function) following volunteer participation in an AFOI Course that we run half yearly for anesthetists

A study comparing two different faecal occult blood testing kits (FOBT). These are tests for detecting early signs of bowel cancer. Patients will be invited who have had a diagnosis of a normal bowel after colonoscopy within the last eighteen months The aim of this study is to determine the accuracy of a new FOBT kit (QuickVue(R) FIT(R)) compared to a proven FOBT kit (Hemoccult II(R) Sensa(R) for detecting the presence of hidden blood in the stool (occult blood). Occult blood in stool is an indication of a number of relatively mild bowel diseases as well a symptom of bowel cancer and bowel polyps. We need to be sure that the QuickVue test does not detect extremely low levels of blood loss which occurs in normal healthy people, to ensure that the test does not give false positive results.

This study examines the effectiveness of a group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) treatment designed to help people with Parkinson's Disease manage anxiety and depression problems.

It is commonly believed that acute postoperative pain can lead to an impaired outcome by means of stress hormone provoked physiological changes (e.g. hyperglycaemia, altered immune response, increased myocardial oxygen consumption). However, it has not yet been investigated whether or not pain that is often measured by means of subjective pain scales (e.g. numeric rating scale, NRS) actually correlates with changes in the plasma level of stress hormones. Aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the subjective NRS score (0-10; 0= no pain, 10 = worst pain) and the plasma levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Furthermore, the correlation between these parameters and other non-invasive measures of pain (heart rate [HR], blood pressure [BP], respiration rate [RR], heart rate variability [HRV]) will be investigated. For this purpose, 85 patients scheduled for non-emergency plastic surgery will be included in the trial. On arrival in the recovery room, 4 ml blood will be taken from a cannula sited during the anaesthetic into the cubital fossa to measure plasma levels of catecholamines. Simultaneously, HR, BP and RR will be recorded as part of the recovery room protocol and the patient will be asked to rate their pain on the NRS. In addition, data from the connected electrocardiogram will be downloaded onto a laptop PC to calculate parameters of HRV by means of the MEMCALC method: total power, low frequency, high frequency, the low: high frequency ratio and a non-linear approach, ultra-short entropy. These HRV parameters are purely mathematical calculations (hence “no touch” technique) and have previously shown correlations with the sympatho-vagal balance. At the time of discharge from the recovery unit, above mentioned procedure will be repeated. In between these 2 time points, the procedure may be repeated up to 3 times if a patient “moves” from one pain category into another (4 categories defined: no [NRS 0], mild [NRS 1-3], moderate [NRS 4-5] and severe [NRS 6-10] pain). To identify changes in pain perception, patients are frequently (approx. 5 minutely) asked to rate their pain on the NRS. This is a standard procedure in the Royal Perth Hospital recovery room. Hence, a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 blood samples (=20ml) may be taken of a subject. The study period ends with discharge of a patient from the recovery room.

Ophthalmic regional blocks are some of the most commonly used in Australia. yet most of them require blind insertions to the posterior of the eye. This study aims to study a new technique which injects under vision to the anterior of the eye. In theory this should be a simpler and safer technique. it's efficacy and safety will be the subject of this study.

Infants on ventilatory support in neonatal intensive care regularly require suction to clear their airways of secretions. This process entails the introduction of a catheter into the endotracheal tube through which the infant is ventilated to suction the secretions. There are two brief episodes of disconnection from the ventilator (to remove then reinsert the flow measurement device, or pneumotachograph) before and after the suctioning. Although this is a necessary process, some infants experience a reduction in oxygenation possibly due to lung collapse from this procedure. In the past we did not have any good monitoring tool to assess the changes occurring in lung volume during and after suction in ventilated newborn infants. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a new non-invasive lung volume monitoring tool, which is well suited to this purpose. Our study group has shown that EIT measures ventilation distribution highly accurately and gives information on the level of lung inflation in preterm infants. The purpose of the study is to attempt to examine the effect of endotracheal suction on ventilation distribution and lung de-recruitment in preterm infants.

The main aim of the current study is to determine and compare the impact of laproscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laproscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) on gastric emptying (GE), small intestinal (SI) transit, gut hormones, glycaemia, plasma insulin, haemodynamics, absorption, appetite, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, plasma lipids and body weight.

Purpose of the study is to determine the place, if any, of bifocal tissue scanning in diagnosis of skin cancers as compared to tissue biopsy. We hope to determine if a) there is a better and easier way of diagnosis of skin lesion other than biopsy and b) if there is a reliable method of determining the limits of spread of the skin lesion to reduce the need for repeated surgeries.

We have observed that patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) have an increased incidence of upper and lower respiratory infections. In addition GORD is strongly associated with bronchial asthma. This study seeks to identify whether patients with GORD have impaired mechano or chemo laryngeal sensitivity which may reduced airway protective mechanisms and lead to an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric acid. This study therefore aims to determine the mechano and chemo senitivity of laryngeal protective mechanisms in patients with GORD and healthy controls