ANZCTR search results

An open-label study to compare the effectiveness and safety of two dosing schedules of anti-HIV drug combinations of raltegravir plus atazanavir.

The prevalence of overweight/obesity is currently exploding with over 60% of Australian adults in this category, leading to a rapid increase in diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Increased dairy consumption has been demonstrated to significantly benefit weight loss. Initially, it was thought that diary calcium was the reason for these health benefits, but recent studies have shown that this is not the case. Attention is now focused to other dairy components, such as dairy proteins. Although there is no clinical evidence in humans to support this, exciting new research from animal studies have shown that dairy whey-protein isolate (WPI) can reduce body weight, lower plasma lipids, improve, blood pressure and insulin action. There is an urgent need to provide the scientific evidence to clarify whether the protein component is responsible for the observed association between dairy consumption and body weight. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate whether acute ingestion of WPI affects postprandial lipemia, insulin sensitivity and endothelial function in overweight/obese adults.

To date, limited data is available regarding the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) during pregnancy in Australia, or the comparative efficacy of intravenous (IV) iron versus oral iron therapy in pregnant women. Patients and Method: At the Launceston General Hospital we prospectively investigating pregnant women with full blood count (FBC) and iron studies at the first or second antenatal visit. Among those, patients with iron deficiency anaemia, will be recruited to a prospective randomised trial to determine whether intravenous iron therapy (iron polymaltose) is superior to oral iron (ferrous sulphate 250 mg) for the management of IDA associated with pregnancy. Our perliminary data indicate that iron deficiency is a common finding during pregnancy in the northern Tasmanian population, and intravenous iron therapy appears a safe and effective treatment in this cohort of patients.

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether the daily recording of steps using pedometers could increase physical activity in sedentary overweight and obese women.

The prevalence of overweight/obesity is currently exploding with over 60% of Australian adults in this category, leading to a rapid increase in diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Increased dairy consumption has been demonstrated to significantly benefit weight loss. Initially, it was thought that diary calcium was the reason for these health benefits, but recent studies have shown that this is not the case. Attention is now focused to other dairy components, such as dairy proteins. Although there is no clinical evidence in humans to support this, exciting new research from animal studies have shown that dairy whey-protein isolate (WPI) can reduce body weight, lower plasma lipids, improve, blood pressure and insulin action. There is an urgent need to provide the scientific evidence to clarify whether the protein component is responsible for the observed association between dairy consumption and body weight. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate whether prolonged, chronic consumption of WPI will promote weight loss and improve CVD risk factors in the overweight/obese. The hypothesis for this study was that consumption of dairy whey-protein isolate will improve cardiovascular health/metabolic syndrome by reducing plasma lipids, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, inflammatory markers, enhanced glucose tolerance, endothelial function and insulin action.

The BLOCADE Feasibility Study aims to inform the final design of a randomised controlled trial with clinically important endpoints to determine whether therapy with the beta-blocker carvedilol will reduce the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of patients receiving dialysis. The major aim of the Feasibility Study is thus to determine the tolerability of carvedilol in this population. Participants will be patients over the age of 50 years, or those over 18 years with either diabetes or cardiovascular disease. After a run-in phase, patients will be randomised to carvedilol, titrated to the maximum tolerated dose or 25mg twice daily, or placebo titrated in an identical fashion. Patients will be followed for 12 months to determine tolerability in terms of the proportion of participants not tolerating carvedilol in the Run-in Phase and post Randomisation, as well as the incidence of major adverse effects. Other data such as rates of dropping out or dropping in will specifically inform the final sample size calculation, and data regarding recruitment rates and the numbers of patients tolerating each specific dose of carvedilol will assist with logistics. The Feasibility Study will recruit 150 participants and follow them for 12 months, at which time they will have a final study visit, then undergo supervised down-titration then cessation of study drug. The protocol of the proposed Clinical End-point Study will be written based on data from the Feasibility Study.

This study is for patients with a condition in which it has been recommended that an unrelated or (less commonly) a mismatched related donor stem cell transplant be performed. One of the major side-effects of receiving a peripheral blood stem cell transplant from an unrelated or mismatched related donor is graft vs host disease (GVHD), particularly extensive chronic GVHD which can occur in up to 80% of patients. Some forms of chronic GVHD, particularly of the skin, lung and liver, can be debilitating, respond poorly to therapy and result in significant impairment of quality of life and can lead to death. The type of donor cells which are responsible for GVHD are called T cells. The number of T cells can be substantially reduced by giving the patient a drug, for three days prior to the transplant, called thymoglobulin. This drug is derived from rabbits and is an antibody which inactivates or “depletes” many of the T cells as they are infused. Evidence from various studies suggests that T cell depletion of this type can substantially reduce the risk of GVHD after a transplant, with major improvements in the quality of life in surviving patients. There are, however, potential disadvantages from T cell depletion. The same T cells which cause GVHD may also be important for engraftment (the ability of the donor stem cells to grow successfully in the recipients bone marrow and restore blood counts), immunity against viral infections (particularly in the first 3-4 months post-transplant) and a graft vs leukaemia/lymphoma effect which is when the immune system of the donor attacks any residual tumour which has survived the chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Fentanyl is a pain-relieving agent that is commonly used to provide short term analgesia for painful procedures. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two concentrations of intranasal fentanyl (INF) in children aged between 3 and 15 years presenting to the Emergency Department with clinically fractured long bones (arms or legs). These patients will be given either a highly concentrated solution or a standard concentration. Their pain scores and other observations will be recorded before they are given INF and at 10, 20 and 30 minutes after.

The aim of this project is to determine if the McGrath laryngoscope makes insertion of a breathing tube easier and safer compared to the conventional Macintosh laryngoscope. This procedure is done after the anaesthetic has started (you will be asleep when the breathing tube is put in). It is important to investigate better laryngoscopes for insertion of the breathing tube because sometimes this procedure can be more challenging than usual, especially if the patient has a neck injury and their neck must be held still during the procedure. In this setting, certain laryngoscopes may make the procedure easier by providing a better view of the larynx. There is evidence to suggest that the McGrath laryngoscope can make breathing tube insertion easier than when the conventional Macintosh laryngoscope is used.