ANZCTR search results

Dexamethasone is a drug commonly given to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting. It also has properties that dampen the body's immune response to infection. In this study, we propose to examine female patients undergoing breast surgery. These patients are at high risk of nausea and vomiting and routinely receive drugs to prevent this. We will give patients one of two drugs, either dolasetron or dexamethasone when they are under anaesthetic. Blood samples will be taken before and after the drugs to determine the effect that they have on the immune system. We hope to determine whether dexathasone has an effect on the body's immune system.

There are currently 2 forms of injectable hCG available in Australia. One is derived from urine (Pregnyl) and the other is genetically engineered (Ovidrel). hCG is used to treat men and women with certain types of infertility. However only Pregnyl is available for use in males. If Pregnyl is withdrawn from the market then there will no alternative form of treatment for infertile men. We aim to compare the action of both forms of hCG in healthy males to determine if Ovidrel has the same pharmacological effects as Pregnyl, when given to men.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal lung disease with an unknown cause. Outside of Japan, no drug has been approved so far for the treatment of IPF. The study medication that is tested in this research, macitentan, works by blocking the effect of a substance called endothelin, which has been detected in increased amounts in patients with IPF. By blocking the action of endothelin, macitentan may increase the breathing capacity, improve the quality of life of patients and reduce the progression of the disease. The main purpose of this study is to find out if macitentan is efficient and safe enough to be used for treatment of IPF.

120 participants with stable moderate to severe claudication from PAD as defined by lower extremity ultrasound, will be randomised to 6 months of supervised high intensity PRT, low intensity PRT or control which includes advice to do aerobic exercise. Our primary outcomes include absolute and initial claudication distances and 6-minute walk distance. Our secondary outcomes include resting arterial calf blood flow, resting brachial, hallux, ankle and distal thigh pressures and post exercise ankle, brachial pressures, change in clinical symptoms in relation to location of disease, dynamic muscle strength, power and endurance, vastus lateralis muscle biopsy to determine calf muscle fiber area, intramuscular lipid content, mitochondrial function and local inflammatory factors, arterial stiffness, blood lipids, systemic inflammatory factors, oxygen consumption, functional performance, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms and quality of life. Key outcomes will be measured at baseline and after the 6 month intervention and will be analysed by “intention to treat” with missing 6-month data imputed via the expectation maximisation algorithm.

Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are prone to experiencing psychological distress, especially anxiety and depression. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a promising treatment for anxiety disorders in people with TBI of the mild-moderate spectrum. However, the effectiveness of CBT to treat anxiety disorders in those with moderate-severe TBI is still not well-understood, and this subgroup tends to have longer-lasting cognitive problems such as poor memory and problem solving. Furthermore, there has been very limited research investigating ways of enhancing treatment response in those with moderate-severe TBI. This presents significant challenges to treatment providers, as effective management of anxiety disorders inevitably involves a person to confront some entrenched patterns of fears and worries. The proposed study aims to examine the efficacy of an evidence-based CBT programme as a treatment of anxiety disorders for individuals with moderate-severe TBI. The study will also examine the effects of a brief preparatory intervention on treatment engagement and response rate. In addition, factors which influence participants’ treatment response and experience with therapy will be explored. A number of questionnaires, designed to measure levels of anxiety, psychosocial and community reintegration, self-awareness, and beliefs about one’s ability to control anxiety will be given to participants. Participant’s level of cognitive functioning will also be assessed in order to examine the impact of cognitive problems on their potential to benefit from CBT. The project is designed such that a control component is embedded in the form of treatment-as-usual wait list protocols. This enables all participants to have access to the intervention while also ensuring high quality empirical evidence. Effective interventions are urgently required in order to prevent prolonged psychological distress and to improve the quality of life for individuals who have had sustained TBI. This project is expected to contribute to our understanding of ways of assisting individuals to manage anxiety, hence improving their psychosocial functioning.

Patients presenting to Gold Coast health service requiring Split thickness skin grafting of the lower limb.

This study will assess the effectiveness of nutrition education in changing children's food choices and dietary intake. We expect that brief nutrition education asking parents to switch their children's dairy products from regular to reduced or low fat varieties will significant benefit the healthiness of their children's overall diet.

This pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) will test a novel telephone-based intervention for carers of patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. The intervention involves five structured calls from a nurse to the carer over 10 weeks, aiming to improve psychosocial outcomes for carers. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibilty and acceptability of the intervention and determine any impact on carer outcomes. If the results are positive, this telephone intervention will be evaluated in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) and could be implemented broadly in both metropolitan and rural areas, and could be adapted for other groups of carers.

This study assesses the efficacy of exercise versus a complementary therapy on the physical and psychosocial well-being of people who have undergone treatment for haematological malignancies. Who is it for? You can join this study if you are undergoing or due to complete treatment for non Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) or Myeloma. Participants will be randomly divided into 3 groups. The groups will undertake 12 weeks of either exercise, Bowen therapy (a hands-on technique to enhance healing and relieve pain), or 'Wait-listed' supportive care. Participants will be assessed at 0 weeks (pre-), 12 weeks (mid), 24 weeks (post), and there will be the option of a 12 month follow-up. The study aims to measure key physiological and psychosocial outcomes following treatment including quality of life (QoL), anxiety, depression, fatigue, body composition, aerobic fitness and strength.

Orygen Youth Health Research Centre aims to evaluate the quality of advice on the web about how to help someone who is suicidal. It also aims to assess whether there is an improvement in the quality of suicide prevention advice, after website administrators are given feedback on the quality of their website and guidelines on how to help someone who is suicidal.