ANZCTR search results

Aggressive behaviour related to psychostimulant abuse, poisoning and/or withdrawal, such as amphetamines, is an increasing problem in emergency departments. It can lead to patient harm, injury to staff and damage to hospital property if the situation is not rapidly controlled. Intravenous sedation can be difficult, particularly in smaller urban and regional hospitals because it requires sufficient staff numbers to restrain the patient to obtain intravenous access and can lead to needle-stick injuries. Intramuscular sedation with benzodiazepines, mainly midazolam, is unpredictable and can lead to over-sedating the patient or not sedating them enough, and may be associated with problems in this group due to benzodiazepine tolerance. Droperidol is a highly sedative antipsychotic medication that is rarely associated with complications. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of intramuscular droperidol and intramuscular benzodiazepines for sedation of aggressive patients with psychostimulant associated agitation in a randomised controlled trial. The study is designed to assess both the speed of onset and duration of sedation.

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of a management protocol designed to improve the management of children with chronic cough. Cough that lasts greater than 4 weeks in children has been shown to cause considerable anxiety to parents and presents a major management problem to the treating doctor. This study aims to prove the hypothesis that the management of chronic cough in children in accordance with a management protocol is feasible and efficient, and improves clinical outcomes.

This randomised controlled trial is using the Neurocom Balance Master force platform for early detection of balance problems amongst older community ambulant Veterans. For Veterans who are assessed as having balance outside of normal limits for their age, they will be randomised to either receive usual care or an exercise program. The exercise program will be a targeted balance and strength training program developed by a physiotherapist (based on the Otago exercise program that has been shown to reduce falls). After six months a follow-up balance assessment will be undertaken to determine whether the exercise program has brought balance back to within normal limits. This study will provide a better understanding of the types of early balance problems that occur, the frequency of undetected balance problems in a reasonably well sample, and the response of a targeted exercise program in addressing the early presence of balance problems in community ambulant Veterans. The study is due to be completed in the later half of 2008.

Informed consent obtained to take blood tests for AMH level estimation before surgery andat 2 time points afterwards

The aim of this project is to investigate if the currently run circuit class at the brain injury rehabilitation unit at Liverpool Hospital currently fulfills one of its aims, that is, to provide a fitness effect. For patients who are currently not working at a sufficient heart rate intensity for a fitness effect, we are investigating if the use of heart rate monitors increases the intensity that patients are able to work at.

Phase 1 This is trial of the drug BNC105P for treating people with advanced solid tumours. Who is it for? Participation in this study is open to patients who have advanced solid cancers of any type (excluding brain tumours), are 18 years and over and meet the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Trial details Participants will receive BNC105P intravenously on days 1 and 8 of a 21 day cycle, for a minimum of 2 cycles. Blood tests and imaging will be carried out throughout the treatment cycles to monitor safety, tumour response and suppression of cancer growth. The trial aims to test the safety and determine the maximum tolerated dose of BNC105P. This is an experimental anti-cancer drug which disrupts the blood supply within tumours and is cytotoxic to cancer cells.

The objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of a community-based exercise program for people with dementia in reducing functional decline in the areas of cognitive, physical and behavioural functioning.

Cardiology patients who receive an implanted device (pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronisation therapy device) return to their doctor on a regular basis to have their device interrogated and followed-up. There is a new method of following-up these devices from the patient’s home called the Medtronic CareLink Network. Patients use a Monitor to interrogate their implanted device (that is, to collect information from the device using the antenna attached to the Monitor). The monitor then uses an analogue “landline” to send the encrypted data to the central database. Clinicians can access the information from the patient’s implanted devices by logging into the secure, password-protected Website. The goal of the ACQUIRE Study is to assess the impact of remote device monitoring on time and financial burden for patients, clinicians and clinics themselves. Furthermore, the acceptance, ease of use, satisfaction and impact of the system will be assessed for both patients and clinicians, respectively. The time and financial impact will be investigated in order to better understand the potential value to economic stakeholders. The economic stakeholders include patients, caregivers, clinicians, and health care systems.

Children with chronic illness sometimes feel disconnected and lonely. In this study we will evaluate the use of a psycho-social intervention program for 'at-risk' children (ie. child with chronic illness, low socio-economic groups) to improve their sense of well-being, adherence to therapies and health outcomes.

The purpose of this project is to determine what is the most appropriate method of investigation of lung masses, or suspected lung cancer. Currently there is no guidance for clinicians as to which of the two commonest methods (bronchoscopy or CT-guided lung biopsy) is optimal. Our study hopes to determine if one of these two diagnostic procedures is more appropriate than the other in investigating patients with lung masses or suspected lung cancer. While either may be performed at present, there is no information to guide clinicians as to particular clinical features that may make one procedure more beneficial than the other, both in terms of maximizing the rate of achieving a diagnosis and also in minimizing the rate of complications.