ANZCTR search results

This study aims to evaluate the effect of prehabilitation via telehealth (virtually) on reducing hospital length of stay and minimising post-operative complications in patients with abdominal and thoracic surgery compared to face-to-face prehabilitation. We hypothesise that telehealth will be equally effective in improving outcomes, which may strengthen the evidence to support the delivery of prerehabilitation services to remotely located patients who are unable to access hospital facilities.

The specific aims of this prospective observational study are: To investigate the short-term effects of ACTs on ventilation distribution and end-expiratory lung volume in adults with bronchiectasis. To examine the feasibility of EIT to assess the short-term effects of ACTs in adults with bronchiectasis in hospital outpatient clinic settings. To examine the feasibility of EIT to provide clinically meaningful outcomes of ACTs in adults with bronchiectasis. The objectives of this quantitative study are: To document and analyse the changes in ventilation distribution during ACTs in adults with bronchiectasis using EIT. To document the participant’s feedback on the experience of performing airway clearance with continuous EIT measurement. To document the clinician’s experience of using EIT as an outcome measure for ACTs in clinical settings. Study design: prospective observational cohort study using quantitative approaches.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common postoperative complication following pelvic organ prolapse surgery. The risk of UTI after incontinence and prolapse surgery has been reported to be 24-33%. This study will see if placing a small amount (50ml) of an antibacterial solution called Microdox when the urinary catheter is removed could decrease the risk of urinary tract infection after surgery. We are comparing this to our current practice, which is to remove the catheter without placing any liquid inside the bladder.

Approximately 30%-40% patients do not respond to biventricular (BiV) pacing for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT). Response to left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) also appears to be variable and ranges from no response to super-response. Whether differences in LV activation is responsible for this variable response is unclear. In this study, we aim to evaluate differences ventricular activation in patients with super-response and non-response to LBBAP and BiV-CRT.

This study aims to investigate the adequacy of pre-oxygenation through the techniques identified to be used in a recent survey of clinicians in Australia and New Zealand in healthy children. The results of this study will inform a follow-on study investigating effective pre-oxygenation techniques in critically unwell patients in the intensive care unit and emergency department

Purpose of the Study To scientifically appraise a newer piece of technology (Alcon Active Sentry handpiece) to see if it is superior to existing commonly used technology. Cataract surgery can degrade the number of vital cells on the inner lining of the cornea which are essential to keeping the cornea clear. This study is to investigate whether a new piece of technology is superior to older technology in terms of protecting the cornea. Hypothesis There is an incremental beneficial effect of the newer Active Sentry handpiece on cataract surgical safety and outcomes.

Reducing blood cholesterol is one of the key strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease risk (CVD), the leading cause of mortality worldwide. While the evidence for the cholesterol lowering effects of ß-glucan from oats and barley are well established, there is less evidence for ß-glucan from other dietary sources such as fungi, yeast and algae. The aim of the current study is to investigate the effects of consuming 200 g/day of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) (raw weight) on serum LDL-cholesterol in adults with mild hypercholesterolaemia compared to 200 g/day non-starchy vegetables over four weeks.

Existing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) therapies are effective at reducing MS relapses but there is currently no effective therapy for treating MS ;related fatigue. There is an understanding that chronic Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection of immune cells, called B lymphocytes, might be a driver of chronic symptoms in MS, such as fatigue. As such, this trial examines whether treating EBV infection can improve MS-related fatigue. The study tests two 're;purposed' anti-viral drugs, 'Tenofovir alafenamide' and 'Spironolactone', as an add-on to standard MS treatment for 16 weeks to see if fatigue can improve in participants with relapsing MS. We hypothesise that both Tenofovir alafenamide and Spironolactone will improve measures of fatigue in participants with relapsing MS compared to placebo.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the addition of a short 20 second breath hold during a positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan is able to improve the characterization of metastatic liver lesions. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are a patient aged 50 years or over who has been referred for initial staging or staging of cancer any type with suspected or confirmed multiple (2 or more) liver metastases. Study details After completing the regular PET/CT that was requested by their referring specialist, participants will be asked to perform a 20-second breath hold whilst CT images are acquired. Following a short break where they are allowed to breathe normally, participants will be asked to perform another 20-second breath hold for PET image acquisition. We will assess the total number of liver lesions, as well as their size and metabolic activity and compare the breath hold images with the standard whole body PET/CT images. It is hoped that findings from this study will help inform researchers of the utility of breath holds in improving detection of metastases during PET/CT imaging.

This study assesses the effectiveness of pancreatic screening in identifying early-stage pancreatic cancer among high-risk individuals. Significant emphasis is also placed on assessing the psychological perception of cancer surveillance and understanding its impact on high-risk populations. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are have relatives with history of PDAC, or high-risk pathogenic variants within the family. Study details Participants will undergo monitoring via endoscopic ultrasound or MRI to detect changes in the pancreas, for a period of 10 years. Participants will be asked to complete an eligibility questionnaire, an enrolment questionnaire and then follow-up questionnaires annually which include updates to the participant’s medical information, relevant risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer, and assessments to determine quality of life, as well as cancer risk perception and worry. It is hoped that findings from this study will help improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer by diagnosing precursor lesions or cancer in its early and asymptomatic stage, when surgery provides the best chance for a cure.