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Overweight and obesity are the most common clinical risk factors affecting over 30% of the pregnancy population. Furthermore, excessive weight gain while pregnant also leads to increased morbidity and mortality for the woman and the fetus/neonate. The morbidity includes, for the fetus/neonate: macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, hypoglycemia and admission to the nursery and for the mother: high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, increased caesarean section rates and increased rates of overweight and obesity post pregnancy. A number of studies have targeted diet and exercise with varied effect. No study has focused on routinely weighing patients in clinic to provide regular feedback that may act as a positive behavioural component to limit weight gain. This study will investigate the effect of weighing pregnant patients at each antenatal clinic visit compared with routine care (weight recorded at the booking visit). All patients attending the Royal Women’s Hospital for their booking visit (<20weeks gestation) will be approached by a midwife or doctor. Only women planning to have all their antenatal care at the Royal Women's Hospital, and with no obvious medical problems, will be included. Once consented, patients will then be randomised into either the control or the intervention groups. Patients in the intervention group will be weighed at every antenatal visit until 36-38 weeks gestation, while the control group will receive routine care with a booking weight plus a weight at 36-38 weeks gestation. Information will be obtained about their demographics, previous pregnancies, medical problems and delivery. Participants will complete a questionnaire at the end of the study regarding their perception of being weighed. We will then analyse the mean pregnancy weight gain of the intervention group compared to the control group. We will also analyse the data according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) at entry to determine if particular subgroups of women (ie underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese) appear to have a different response to being weighed. We will also compare the neonatal outcomes to ensure there is no obvious harm in the process of regular weighing. This study will allow us to determine if weighing patients regularly does provide a positive behavioural component resulting in appropriate weight gain in pregnancy.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a physical activity and nutrition program for low-active adolescent girls from economically disadvantaged secondary schools. The study will assess changes in body composition, physical activity, dietary behaviours, and hypothesized mediators of behaviour change over a 24 month period.

The primary purpose of the study is to test whether intra-oral manual therapy for chronic myogenous temporomandibular disorder coupled with self care exercises and education is more effective than either manual therapy alone or no treatment (control).

The clinical trial is to assess the safety and tolerability and to explore the efficacy of orally inhaled heparin in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Heparin is expected to provide advantages over currently available treatments for CF in a convenient delivery system.

In a previous study on bronchiolitis in Aboriginal children we found that 67% were from remote communties and required retrievals. A recent study has also shown that almost 2.5% of Aboriginal children in Australia's Northern Territory will be hospitalised for bronchiolitis more than once before reaching the age of 18 months. Multiple hospitalised respiratory infections and the severity of these infections are risk factors for developing chronic lung diseases including bronchiectisis and asthma. It is planned that this study will provide an estimation of the effect of azithromycin on the severity of bronchiolitis in Aboriginal and non Aboriginal infants. Assessing redmission for respiratory illness within 6 months may provide some indication of the medium term benefit of three doses of azithromycin, given to infants in the acute phase of viral bronchiolitis, in reducing the risk of further respiratory illness requiring hospitalisation.

In this study we will continue to follow participants recruited to " A longitudinal study of caries prevention in children aged two to four years" HREC/09/QPAH/158, ACTRN12609000330246 who have undergone preventative methods of education, home visits and toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste, 0.12% chlorhexideine gel and CPP-ACP Tooth Mousse. The effectiveness of these strategies will be assessed through -microbial analysis for the presence of decay causing bacteria - clinical dental examination data - statistical analysis of data for case and control groups

Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy is used to manage severe spasticity. ITB therapy is available to children and adolescents at 6 tertiary Paediatric hospitals in Australia. ITB is a new therapy, with 12-15 ITB pumps implanted in Australian children and adolescents each year. There is no standard pre assessment tool or follow up protocol for children and adolescents receiving ITB therapy in Australia. The objective of this study is to identify and collect a minimum data set for assessment and follow up of children and adolescents receiving ITB therapy in Australia. Two of the aims of this study are (1) Identifying which assessment tools are useful at assessing the effect of ITB upon your child’s daily functioning; and, (2) document the complications associated with ITB therapy. For the purposes of data collection a prospective multicentre audit is proposed. This would include children attending Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (Perth), Royal Childrens Hospital (Melbourne), Monash Medical Centre (Melbourne), Westmead Childrens Hospital (Sydney), Women & Childrens Hospital (Adelaide) and the Royal Childrens Hospital (Brisbane). All Australian children and adolescents who are offered ITB therapy will be asked to enrol in this audit. A standardised assessment protocol will be utilised by each centre to capture data across each domain of the World Health Organsiation international classification of functioning, disability and health. Participation in this prospective audit reflects standard care and is voluntary.

Vitamin D deficiency is common amongst people with type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes frequently develop painful neuropathy ("nerve pain" especially in the feet). The study hypothesis is that vitamin D supplementation may improve symptoms of nerve pain. The study is therefore designed to investigate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on nerve pain in people with type 2 diabetes

The purpose of this study is to determine the safe and potential cardiac (heart) benefit of using Certican (Registered Trademark) in kidney transplantat patients in combination with Neoral (Registered Trademark) (cyclosporine A), corticosteroids (methylprednisone/prednisone) and myfortic (Registered Trademark) (mycophenolate) with or without Simulect (Registered Trademark). The main goal is to reduce the risk of heart disease. Certican (Registered Trademark), Neoral (Registered Trademark), Simulect (Registered Trademark), corticosteroids and myfortic (Registered Trademark) are all anti-rejection treatments.

Influenza is a viral illness that causes much social disruption. It causes serious complications in young children including hospitalisation. Children in child care settings are more likely to be infected. Influenza vaccination can help prevent influenza in adults but data are lacking in young children. This study will determine both direct child benefits (protection, continuity of day care) and indirect benefits of influenza vaccination in reduced work absence (staff, parents), illness in the extended family. The study also measures the social and economic impact of influenza vaccination.