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The aim of this project is to test the immediate and long-term effects of a nursing intervention on improving pain of older patients in the hospital setting. A controlled trial will be undertaken in the geriatric evaluation and management units of two metropolitan hospitals. An organisational improvement model underpins the intervention, which comprises an educational program and clinical role modelling. This model considers the complexity of pain management activities in multidimensional ways.

A pilot study to investigate the safety of using local anaesthetic eye drops to control pain following minor corneal injuries.

The University of Adelaide, with funding from the Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) is currently conducting a large research Trial investigating and evaluating the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and safety of point of care testing (PoCT) in general practice. The Trial is of considerable national significance. In 2002, DoHA commissioned a review for the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) on the role and value of point of care testing in Australia. This report highlighted the potential advantages of PoCT, particularly in rural and remote practices, but concluded that further evidence needed to be collected concerning the clinical and economic benefits as well as the analytical performance of PoCT in the community setting. The Point of Care Testing Trial will occur in three settings: urban, rural and remote. It will aim to demonstrate whether or not local pathology testing will improve and create more efficient care and be acceptable to both general practitioners (GPs) and their patients. It will also test whether these innovative models can be sustainable and safely implemented in general practice. Approximately 6,000 patients of 60 general practices will participate in this Trial. Patients from half the practices will participate fully in the Trial and have their pathology tests conducted at the GP`s surgery; these will be known as the intervention group, while the other half will act as the control group and have their pathology testing done by the usual pathology group selected by their surgery. Patients eligible to participate in the Trial are those 18 years and over and who have established diabetes, cardiovascular disease or who are taking anticoagulant medicine such as Warfarin. There will be four tests used for the Trial. These four tests are: Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c): a blood test for monitoring the control of diabetes in patients with established diabetes. Urine Albumin:Creatinine ratio (ACR): a urine test for detecting and, in this Trial, monitoring microalbuminuria (early renal disease) in patients with established diabetes. Lipids: a blood test that measures different blood fats (total cholesterol [TC], high density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol, and triglyceride [TGL] in patients in this Trial who have hyperlipidaemia and who are taking lipid lowering drugs. International Normalised Ratio (INR): a blood test that measures clotting time in patients receiving oral anticoagulant therapy (such as Warfarin). Three different testing devices will be used in this Trial. These are the DCA 2000 (HbA1c and urine ACR [micralbuminuria]); the Cholestech LDX (blood lipids); and the CoagChek S (INR). All devices and consumables will be supplied to practices for the life of the Trial.

This study investigates the influence of Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) in first episode psychotic patients. The influence of EPA supplementation has been investigated only in neuroleptic-treated, mostly chronic patients with schizophrenia. The effect size of EPA supplementation in addition to antipsychotic treatment in these studies was approximately 20%. We suggest that the effect in early course of illness is even stronger and long-term consequences could be avoided. For ethical reasons at this point ALL patients get a standard treatment with an atypical antipsychotic (standard treatment for first episode patients at EPPIC) in a flexible dose regime. After inclusion into the study patients are randomised to two arms. One arm will be supplemented with a mineral oil (4 capsules of 0.5g) which is not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract (placebo group). The other arm will be supplemented with purified Eicosapentanoic acid (4 capsules of 0.5g). Patients who give written informed consent will do standard clinical and neuropsychological tests (CANTAB) at baseline and after 12 weeks of supplementation (pre/post study design). A topical Niacin flush test (already approved by the research and ethics committee within following project: Psychobiology and Prevention of Transition to Psychosis 29/7/99) will also be applied at baseline and after 12weeks.