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The aim of this second study is to test different combinations of written strategies for debunking misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations and fertility in Australian adults to see whether they are effective at reducing agreement with misinformation compared to a control. We will recruit adults who have concerns about serious side effects of COVID-19 vaccination. Participants will receive an information intervention or a control. The control message will provide correct information. Intervention 1 will provide correct information + information on misleading techniques. Intervention 2 will provide correct information + information on untrustworthy sources. Intervention 3 will provide correct information + information on misleading techniques + information on untrustworthy sources. Analysis of the primary outcome variable (agreement with misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations and fertility) will use a linear model with predictors of randomised treatment (information on untrustworthy sources (No/Yes), information on misleading techniques (No/Yes)) and their interaction, adjusted for baseline level of agreement with misinformation. Analysis of secondary outcomes will use similar methods.

Skeletal muscle cramping is a common and bothersome symptom for patients on maintenance dialysis therapy. Although initially considered to be an intradialytic phenomenon associated with rapid fluid removal during haemodialysis, accumulating evidence indicates that dysfunction of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) may play a significant role in its pathophysiology. This is a multicentre, phase 2, placebo-controlled, randomised crossover trial of the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of angiotensin II in chronic haemodialysis patients who regularly experience cramps. We hypothesise that angiotensin II will be safe, feasible, and effective at reducing cramping.

Purpose: Research indicates there is an unmet need, to test an individualised obesity management approach for people with asthma that addresses nutritional and physical activity inadequacies, while also considering patient preferences, behaviours, and comorbidities. The purpose of this study is to address this unmet need, by testing the first individualised obesity management approach for adults with asthma. The study will seek to achieve this through the provision of medical nutrition therapy and personalised physical activity prescription, and by assessing the efficacy, mechanisms, acceptability, and cost of this intervention. Hypothesis: Obesity-associated asthma is driven by excess adiposity, poor diet quality, physical inactivity, and poor metabolic health. An individualised obesity management intervention, utilising medical nutrition therapy and a personalised physical activity prescription, will improve diet quality, physical activity levels and metabolic health in obese adults with asthma, resulting in better asthma control and lung function.

A six-month study comparing usual clinical care (face to face appointments every 3 months) to usual care plus an SMS-based diabetes support program. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesize that an SMS-based support program (SMS4T1D) will be feasible in the RPAH Diabetes Centre type 1 diabetes population and that this SMS-based program will facilitate a greater decrease in diabetes distress than standard clinical care over a six-month period. AIM: The primary aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of an SMS-based, diabetes distress support program in the RPAH Diabetes Centre type 1 diabetes population. The secondary aim is to estimate the likely magnitude of change in diabetes distress associated with the SMS4T1D program. This data could then be used to inform power calculations for future studies involving the SMS-based support program.

Patients complete a validated questionnaire prior to a scheduled clinic appointment followed by another questionnaire after their appointment. The diabetes educator and endocrinologist will also complete a questionnaire after the appointment. HYPOTHESIS: As a piece of observational research, our goals are to: (i) determine the prevalence of diabetes distress within the type 1 diabetes population of the RPAH Diabetes Centre and, (ii) to establish whether there is a correlation between diabetes distress (measured using the T1 DDS questionnaire) and level of glycaemic control (HbA1c) in our patients. AIM: The primary aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of diabetes distress (as measured by the T1-DDS) in a representative sample of the type 1 diabetes population within the RPAH Diabetes Centre. We also wish to establish whether there is a correlation between diabetes distress and level of glycaemic control. Secondary aims of this study include assessing diabetes distress within specific subgroups of patients including: (i) those aged 18-40 years vs those aged >40 years, (ii) those with recently diagnosed diabetes vs those with longstanding diabetes, (iii) those treated with insulin pump (CSII) vs those treated with multiple daily injections of insulin (MDI), and (iv) those of normal weight vs those who are overweight/obese. Additionally, we wish to assess the ability of health professionals (namely, diabetes educators and endocrinologists) to ascertain levels of diabetes distress in patients during routine consultation.

For patients with CF and non-CF bronchiectasis, chronic airway infection with Gram-negative organisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia complex species (BCC) is highly challenging to treat and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These organisms are naturally resistant towards many antibiotic classes, limiting the available arsenal of effective antibiotics for their treatment and eradication. Therefore, there is a pressing need for new antimicrobial therapy options for infective exacerbations associated with these organisms. There are clear logistical and financial benefits for acute infective exacerbations of CF and non-CF bronchiectasis to be managed on OPAT programs. Many acute infective exacerbations can be safely managed in this way, and a substantial body of evidence supports non-inferiority of OPAT compared with inpatient care. From a logistical perspective, feasibility of OPAT programs is greatly improved by antibiotics being infused over a 24-hour period rather than via bolus several times per day. Unfortunately, many mainstay anti-pseudomonal and anti-Burkholderia antibiotics (including meropenem, imipenem and ceftazidime) are not stable for 24 hours at room/body temperature therefore are unsuitable for use on OPAT. This study aims to assess viability of ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) administered via OPAT in adult patients with exacerbations of CF or non-CF bronchiectasis. Secondary aims are to describe clinical outcomes of patients receiving C/T, tolerability of C/T, relative sputum bacterial load throughout treatment and assess development of resistance to C/T and other antibiotics. We aim to recruit 30 patients, colonized with either pseudomonas aeruginosa or burkholderia cepacia complex, with a current infectious exacerbation requiring intravenous antibiotic treatment. We propose to administer C/T via infusion for 10-14 days with review at day 0-3, 5-7 and 10-14. Blood testing, sputum testing, lung function testing, administration of CF- and bronchiectasis-specific questionnaires and adverse event reporting will be carried out at these times. Serum levels of C/T will be monitored using a validated assay. Clinical review at day 28-42 will be carried out to assess for recrudescence of symptoms and further need for antibiotics and a follow-up phone call will be made at 3 months to assess whether any further antibiotics were needed for new/recrudescent symptoms of infection. We expect to find that C/T is safe, well-tolerated and effective in treating infective exacerbations of bronchiectasis in OPAT settings. We expect to find that bacterial density in sputum samples reduces over the course of treatment, and that development of antimicrobial resistance is minimal.

The purpose of this study is to identify whether intra-operative advanced haemodynamic monitoring (AHDM) as compared to usual care monitoring for patient's undergoing major hepatobiliary-pancreatic (HPB) surgery results in increased rates of textbook outcomes (optimal post-surgical outcomes). Who is it for? The study will include adult patients undergoing major HPB surgery. This is a retrospective study to test the hypothesis that AHDM monitoring when compared to usual care monitoring will increase the rates of textbook outcomes for these patients. People aged 18 years or older who have undergone a liver or pancreatic surgery for one of a number of reasons, including removal of cancerous tissue, between January 2011 and December 2022 at the Austin Hospital, Knox Private or Warringal Private Hospitals may be included in this study. Please be advised that this study will not involve any active participation, only a review of previously recorded medical information from hospital records. Study details The aim of this study is to evaluate the rate of textbook outcomes for patients undergoing major HPB surgery who are monitored with AHDM (AHDM group) as compared to routine monitoring (usual care group). A textbook outcome represents the optimal course following a surgical episode, which is achieved when predefined parameters are fulfilled according to an all-or-none principle. Textbook outcomes will include absence of post operative leak, absence of liver failure, absence of pancreatic fistula, absence of pancreatic haemorrhage, no major post operative complications, no readmission within 90 days due to surgical complications, no in hospital or 90-day mortality and hospital length of stay less than the median length of stay. It is hoped that this study will be hypothesis generating and provide valuable data for power calculations for future studies on evaluating the use of AHDM for textbook outcomes for patients undergoing major HPB surgery.

Exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD) can lead to the condition known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The neuromuscular changes that result from the pain and damage associated with DOMS can increase the risk of furthermore serious injuries. The pain and dysfunction from DOMS can peak at ~48hrs and can last for longer time in some cases which can result in significant lost training time and for new trainees can result in exercise drop out. This research project will investigate the effects of daily oral supplementation of Krill oil on improving muscle pain, muscle function, circulation of muscle damage markers, muscle swelling and sleep in 18–35-year-old healthy, untrained, and weight stable adults with sedentary lifestyle, while they undergo an 8-week supplementation of Krill oil. The project has been designed to test the hypothesis that 8 weeks of krill oil supplementation (4g/day) will reduce muscle pain, improve muscle function recovery and reduce markers of muscle damage when measured after EIMD in healthy, and untrained men and women and post exercise muscle soreness, menstrual pains and sleep quality will be improved during the study in participants taking Krill oil vs placebo.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an individualised exercise program for improving patient-reported health outcomes for quality of life in people with breast cancer. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 years and over, and have received a diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer, are receiving treatment at Westmead Hospital and are able to participate in exercise sessions. Study details Participants will complete an individualised and supervised 12 week exercise program which may be conducted individually, as part of a group at Westmead Hospital or via telehealth at home. The exercise program will consist of a warm up and cool down, and exercises including strengthening. The program duration is 30-60 minutes weekly and for a length of 12 weeks. All participants will undergo physical assessment and complete questionnaires at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. Findings from this study will help evaluate the implementation of an exercise program for breast cancer into usual care at Westmead Hospital, as well as identify barriers and enablers to implementation and uptake.

People with kidney failure receiving conservative kidney management (CKM) (i.e., non-dialysis) suffer a high symptom burden, malnutrition, morbidity and mortality. Anorexia is experienced by approximately 50% of this population and is associated with reduced quality of life, reduced dietary intake, anaemia, increased rates malnutrition, inflammation and increased rates of hospitalisation. Zinc is an important trace mineral and antioxidant, with deficiencies associated with anorexia, hypogeusia, anaemia, impaired immune function, delayed wound healing, weight loss and inflammation. There are several potential zinc-induced mechanisms that may impact on anorexia in advanced CKD. Trials evaluating the impact of a cheap and accessible intervention such as zinc supplementation on these symptoms addresses a clear unmet need of importance to patients. Research Methodology: This will be a 3-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot randomised trial of zinc supplementation. This pilot is a component of a larger program of work of Systematic Evaluation of Interventions for Symptom Management In Chronic Kidney Disease (SEISMIC). The study consists of a 12-week treatment period: (1) 342mg Zinc Gluconate to be taken orally once daily, or (2) Matched placebo to be taken orally once daily Participants will be recruited through the Kidney Supportive Care clinic at St. George Hospital Aim: The primary aim of this study is to determine the impact of zinc supplementation to improve anorexia in people with kidney failure receiving conservative kidney management.