ANZCTR search results

Bay of Plenty DHB is one of five District Health Boards currently trialling the use of a new assessment tool, the Minimum Data Set-Home Care (MDS-HC). The MDS-HC is used to determine the level of need and services required for older people (65+) living in the community. In conjunction with a well-executed care plan, the use of the MDS-HC is expected to improve the quality of care that DHBs can provide. DHBs across the country need information on the best way to implement the tool and this study is the first step towards providing the information and evidence for national implementation, should it prove to be beneficial in the medium to long-term. 320 older people who are referred for assessment through Support Net will be recruited to take part, half will receive standard NASC assessment whereas the other half will receive the MDS-HC assessment. Interviews with the older people will occur at baseline before the assessment and at one, four months and twelve month follow-up. Comparisons will include functional and social measures, cost of services as well as the differences in care plans and services recommended between the two assessment systems.

Anaemia may be defined as a decrease in haemoglobin to levels below recognised normal laboratory ranges, resulting in diminished delivery of oxygen to the tissues. Symptoms of anaemia are related to reduced oxygenation and depending on severity includes dizziness, fatigue, exertional dyspnoea, headache, insomnia and pallor. Causation is associated with either reduced production of red cells, increased destruction of red cells or loss of blood and may result from hereditary factors, or nutritional deficits such as iron deficiency, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency or generalised malnutrition. Physical factors include the intake of certain drugs or chemicals, trauma, haemorrhage or chronic illness. Anaemia is classified morphologically by the haemoglobin content of the red blood cells and by differences in red blood cell size. Patterson et al. (2001) indicate that women are at greatest risk for iron deficiency due to the effects of menstruation and childbearing. They cite data that suggests 1 in 3 women have been diagnosed with iron deficiency by the time they reach 45-50. The World Health Organization's criterion for anaemia in women is haemoglobin values less than 12 g/dL. Iron is a micronutrient required in the formation of haemoglobin as well as some of the cytochromes and myoglobin which have a similar haem portion to haemoglobin. Iron is an essential component of the haemoglobin molecule as it is necessary for the formation of haem, which is the structure to which oxygen binds for transport to the cells. In the absence of iron, the amount of haemoglobin per red blood cell is reduced and small erythrocytes form. Celloid Mineral Therapy was developed by an Australian naturopath (Maurice Blackmore) in the 1930s, when he formulated this simple treatment system using the minerals that make up the fundamental structure of the body and are present in food. He based his investigations on the work of Schuessler and Hahnemann who had firmly established the importance of the mineral salts to human health many years earlier. He found that even a small deficiency of only one of these mineral elements could create or allow a defect in the structure and function of the cell. Contemporary research has confirmed his focus on minerals as an essential component of cellular health, and their contribution to the structure and function of the human body. Blackmores Celloid minerals are generally prescribed by qualified practitioners (Herbalists and Naturopaths). Study treatments Iron phosphate This is a celloid material that has traditionally been found to have a role in the inflammatory process by enhancing the utilisation of oxygen in order to break down the pathogenic wastes within the body, which allows for enhanced elimination. It also acts within the muscles and circulatory system by increasing oxygen supply to the muscles and promoting tissue repair within the muscles. It has a primary function in red cell production and has been found to have a role in iron deficiency anaemia and the symptoms associated with iron deficiency. Iron phosphate has a tonic action on under active endocrine glands and can improve libido. Potassium chloride Is also a celloid mineral with an anti-infective and anti-inflammatory action, when used in combination with iron phosphate. It has traditional beneficial effects within the digestive system, by increasing digestion, promoting both the flow of pancreatic enzymes and bile production. It reduces fluid retention by alleviating lymphatic congestion. It promotes blood flow by decreasing blood viscosity resulting in the prevention and removal of fibrous build up and atheromatous plaque formation. It is recommended by practitioners as being an important treatment in assisting in promoting blood flow by decreasing blood viscosity(10)

To determine whether doubling inhaled corticosteroids at the first sign of a cold or of asthma deterioration in children on preventive treatment with inhaled corticosteroids leads to a reduced need for oral steroid rescue or reduced risk of admission to hospital. To examine the effect of doubling the dose of inhaled corticosteroids at the first sign of a cold or asthma deterioration on the growth of children on preventive treatment for asthma.

This study has been designed to examine where first infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa come from and also to examine the factors that may be important in how the organism might be passed from one person to another with CF.