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Influenza is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in the elderly during the annual winter epidemics. There is indirect epidemiologic evidence that influenza also contributes to all-cause mortality and to cardiac, stroke and respiratory hospitalisations. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the single largest contributor to disease burden in Australia, accounting for 18% of the total disability-adjusted life years lost. Given the observational data which suggest that influenza is a precipitant for ischaemic events, prevention of influenza by vaccination may have an important role in reducing the burden of ischaemic events. Our study aims to quantify the impact of influenza vaccination on the incidence of ischaemic events in high risk patients aged 40-64 years

This 4-year, cluster-randomised trial is evaluating a 12-month, telephone-delivered physical activity and dietary behaviour intervention targeting low-income patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, recruited from the primary care setting, and compared to usual care. A systematic evaluation of the incremental costs will be undertaken; and data on program adoption, reach and implementation will be evaluated in order to identify factors relevant to the translation and generalisability of this intervention approach.

Examination of diffraction pattern in hair fibres from patients with breast cancer.

Despite optimal medication, people with Parkinson's disease living in the community experience frequent and recurrent falls. These falls result in major adverse consequences both personally and economically for the person with Parkinson's disease and their families. Poor balance, reduced leg muscle strength and and freezing of gait have been found to be independent predictors for falls in people with Parkinson's disease. This randomised controlled trial aims to determine the effect of a 6 month support-group based exercise program on falls risk as well as balance, lower limb muscle strength and freezing of gait in people with Parkinson's disease who are falling or at risk of falling. Any reduction in falls rates has the potential to improve the quality of life of individuals with Parkinson's disease and their families as well as reduce the financial costs to them and the health care system.

Phase I This is a trial of adoptive immunotherapy as treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, stage 2, 3 and 4. Who is it for? You can join this study if you have cancer of the nasopharynx (an area in the back of the nose toward the base of skull) (NPC), stage 2, 3 and 4. Trial details Blood cells are taken from participants who's tumour tissue is Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) positive. T-cells are isolated from the blood and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL's) are grown in the laboratory, in the presence of an EBV latent membrane protein and used for ‘adoptive immunotherapy’ – a treatment used for cancer in which an individual's own white blood cells are coupled with a naturally produced growth factor to enhance their cancer-fighting capacity. Some 20–200 million cytotoxic T lymphocytes will be injected into the patient at 2 week intervals (minimum of three and up to six infusions). The study aims to look at the tolerability and safety of treatment, changes in blood immune results measured at intervals, and tumour response. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are standard palliative treatments for people with advanced NPC. This trial assesses the safety and toxicity of adoptive immunotherapy in people with EBV positive tumours.

The primary purpose of the ICON 7 study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adding bevacizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody against Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), to standard chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel for patients with ovarian cancer.

Orotracheal intubation of newborn infants requiring respiratory support is difficult and often requires multiple attempts. Oral intubation may be performed using an endotracheal tube on its own or with an introducer (stylet) to help guide the insertion. We hypothesise that intubation is more frequently successful and performed quicker using an endotracheal tube with an introducer (stylet) than without and may be the preferred method of intubating newborn infants.

This randomised trial will compare the effectiveness of two types of orthoses - a customised orthosis and a prefabricated orthosis - in management of medial exertional shin pain.

This study is intended to investigate whether starting at a fraction of the full dose of interferon beta-1a (Avonex) treatment for relapsing and remitting Multiple Sclerosis and increasing up to the full dose over a month produces fewer flu-like symptoms than starting at the full dose of the same treatment

This study is a prospective, 3-armed cluster-randomised trial to determine the effect of the use of two different kinds of face masks on the transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses. The starting point will be patients with influenza-like illness (ILI), whose households will then become the focus of the study. Index cases with ILI will be identified using the emergency department of the Children's Hospital at Westmead and their families will be approached to give their consent. In two arms of the study, adult contacts in the household will be provided with one of two types of face mask (surgical masks or P2 masks) to be worn when in the same room as the index case. Families in the third arm of the study will receive only education about infection control. Several measures will be used to measure compliance, including observation by family members within the household, self report through the use of diary cards, and interviews with a random selection of participants. There will be two main outcomes: ILI and laboratory diagnosis of influenza or other respiratory viruses (as determined from nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples), and impact on influenza transmission within the household.