ANZCTR search results

The aims of this study are to show that patients with hypertension and abnormal left ventricular (LV) filling (but without coronary artery disease) may have their echocardiographic and biochemical markers of myocardial fibrosis and diastolic function improved by treatment with spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist with anti-fibrotic properties.

The primary aim of this trial is to compare the outcomes and adverse events of two different physiotherapy treatment approaches for people with low back pain with or without sciatica. A secondary aim is to determine the perspectives of participants on the specific physiotherapy treatment program utilised in the trial.

In most labours, the baby is delivered head first, face downwards. When the baby is facing upwards, the labour may be more difficult, and assisted deliveries including suction cup, forceps, and caesarean section are more likely. When the mother is fully dilated, it is possible to perform an internal examination and to physically rotate the baby to the downwards (anterior) position, but it is unknown if this procedure reduces the chances of an assisted delivery. We plan to run a study looking at whether performing a procedure to turn the baby will reduce the risk of assisted delivery

This study seeks to determine the effect of application of cricoid pressure on the laryngoscopic view using a cMac video laryngoscope and secondly to assess if whether having the person applying the cricoid viewing the video feed assists in improving the laryngoscopic view.

Purpose of the study is to examine mother and baby outcomes following exposure to antidepressant medication during pergnancy. Patients will be asked to either continue antidepressant medication up until and after delivery; or to wean medication at 35 weeks of pregnancy and recommence at one week post partum. The primary hypothesis is the women who continue their medication through delivery will have fewer depressive symptoms. The secondary hypothesis is that babies exposed to antidepressant medication to term will be more likely to have discontinuation symptoms such as jitteriness and irritability

Achilles tendinopathy is a common condition that can cause marked pain and disability. Numerous non-surgical treatments have been proposed for the treatment of this condition, but many of these treatments have a poor or non-existent evidence base. This study is a randomised trial to evaluate the efficacy of customised foot orthoses to reduce pain and improve function in people with Achilles tendinopathy.

Effect of ventolin vs placebo in acute tetraplegic patients. Spirometric outcome measures

Many people who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) - usually from a blow to the head such as in a vehicle collision or in a fall do not survive or, if they do, suffer from long-term disability. Previous studies have shown that about 1,000 people in Australia and New Zealand suffer a moderate or severe TBI every year. With current best available treatment and therapies many of these patients sustain loss of brain function and long term disability in varying degrees. When a patient sustains a traumatic brain injury there are two phases to the injury. First, the head-impact causes immediate damage to the brain. The secondary injury, which can evolve over hours or weeks, is a very complicated process. It involves many, linked, changes to the cells, brain chemistry, tissues or blood vessels that can destroy brain tissue. The treatment of brain injury focuses on trying to minimize the secondary injury and there is much research being done to try to find treatments that will prevent it. Erythropoietin (EPO) has recently emerged as a drug that may help reduce secondary injury and improve brain function. It has been found to offer some protection to the brain when brain cells are deprived of their normal oxygen supply causing cells to die or be impaired. The aim of this study is to determine if EPO reduces secondary brain injury and helps patients make a better recovery after traumatic brain injury. The investigators also plan to monitor the effect of EPO on the rate of deep vein thrombosis (DVT - blood clots in the large veins in lower extremity) in patients with moderate or severe TBI in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Studies in animals with retinal dystrophies shows benefit from light restriciton. In particular improvement in retinal function as measured by an elecroretinogram. This study is being undertaken to see if restricting light exposure in people with retinal dystrophies improves retinal function.

The aim of the proposed research is to determine the effectiveness of a comprehensive exercise program for chronic whiplash. Currently, for the majority of sufferers with chronic whiplash there are no proven therapies available to manage this personal and financially costly condition. Promising results have been identified in randomised controlled trials evaluating the effects of different exercise programs, graded activity and specific exercise. However, success rates from these studies were too low to represent a solution to the problem of chronic whiplash and further development was necessary. A comprehensive exercise program that combined both specific exercises and graded activity was developed. A small uncontrolled phase I/II trial provided evidence that this new exercise program had a much higher success rate with 56% of subjects having minimal or no disability at the end of the program. This success rate approximates that of radiofrequency neurotomy (58%) but avoids such invasive surgical techniques. Based upon the exciting results of the pilot study and the strong biological rationale for the superior results with the combined program we now propose to definitively establish the effectiveness of the new program in a large phase III randomised controlled trial.