ANZCTR search results

IVF remains a difficult process – physically and emotionally - in part due to the ovarian stimulation protocols that stimulate the ovaries. It has been established that there is crosstalk between female gonadal hormones and the vaginal microbiome. This research aims to look at how the vaginal microbiome will respond when exposed to the physiologically abnormal doses of reproductive hormones introduced during Assisted Reproductive Technology treatment. The purpose of this project is to investigate whether fertility treatment used to stimulate ovulation, changes the amount, or type, of microbes usually present in your vaginal microbiome. This study wants to know what a person's vaginal microbiome looks like prior to commencing gonadotropin fertility treatment, during treatment, and once the person has finished treatment.

This study aimed to identify MBSR-related changes in depression, anxiety, and stress and various subcomponents of mindfulness using a longitudinal design over an 8-week MBSR course.

More than two million Australians report an antibiotic or penicillin allergy. Patients’ reports are not always accurate, which may lead to them receiving second-line antibiotic therapies. It has been found that 85% of reported allergies are false and can be removed by testing: in fact, more than 95% of low-risk penicillin allergies. The International Network of Antibiotic Allergy Nations (iNAAN) is a health services program that seeks to improve access to direct oral penicillin challenge for Australian patients. This will reduce the burden and cost of antibiotic allergies in healthcare. At present, many of the patients carrying an antibiotic allergy label remain undiscovered with 50% of these patients not having access to vital testing. We seek to prospectively audit this clinical program to assess safety and the impact on reducing the burden of penicillin allergy in hospitalized patients and the subsequent effects on antibiotic prescribing and patient outcomes.

The Exercise Right for Active Ageing (ERAA) program was a 12 weekly exercise program delivered by Accredited Exercise Physiologists and Exercise Scientists to older Australians. This program was supported by the Australian Sports Commission which subsidised a pre-assessment, 12 exercise sessions and provided a free post-assessment for participants. Adherence to participation and outcomes were evaluated during the pandemic. Outcomes of physical activity and sedentary levels, physical and mental functioning were of interest in response to an age-specific exercise program delivered by exercise professionals to older Australians.

People in high-risk occupations, such as those in emergency service organizations, are at high risk of psychological disorders. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common psychiatric disorder that develops following exposure to a traumatic event, and emergency service personnel have markedly higher rates of PTSD. PTSD is characterised by severe and persistent stress reactions including: intrusive memories and nightmares of the trauma, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping, emotional withdrawal, pervasive negative emotions, and avoidance of places, activities, and situations that are reminiscent of their trauma. The treatment of choice for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is trauma-focused psychotherapy. Trauma-focused psychotherapy typically commences with psychoeducation about the trauma responses, and then focuses on three major strategies: anxiety management, exposure, and cognitive restructuring. Despite support for this therapeutic approach, meta-analyses indicate that at least one-third of patients do not respond to this treatment. This situation is also evidence in treatment of PTSD in emergency service personnel. One recent advance has shown that training people to focus attention in a more controlled way can promote reduction of PTSD symptoms. Accordingly, this trial aims to augment TF-CBT for PTSD by comparing standard TF-CBT with TF-CBT combined with attention training. It is hypothesized that the augmented TF-CBT that includes attention training will result in greater reduction of PTSD than standard TF-CBT.

Australians are aging and have increasingly complex health needs, to which quality nursing care is fundamental. Approximately 191,000 are cared for in residential aged care facilities (RACFs), of which there are ~830 providers and 2,704 facilities across the country.The health issues and needs of the older population are unique in their severity and complexity. Approximately, 54% of permanent RACF residents have comorbid healthcare needs including heart disease, arthritis, dementia, pain and depression. RNs in Australia’s RACFs are need more skills and resources to meet the contemporary complex health and wellbeing needs of residents. This research will implement and evaluate a new aged care nursing assessment framework—HIRAID (Trademark) Aged Care—to improve the quality and safety of person-centred aged care within RACFs, improve RN practice, resident and family satisfaction, and reduce unwarranted hospital burden. HIRAID (Trademark) Aged Care has recently been adapted from the highly successful emergency nursing assessment framework HIRAID (Trademark) – History, Identify Red flags, Assessment, Interventions, Diagnostics, reassessment and communication. This project will introduce and launch the intervention to nurses across 23 participating aged care facilities. This study will use an effectiveness-implementation hybrid design, including a modified Step–Wedge cluster Randomised Control Trial (SW-cRCT). Facilities will first be allocated into one of four clusters. Trial commencement, starting at Step 1, will be rolled out incrementally to each of the 4 clusters at three-month intervals. It is hypothesised that RNs’ use of HIRAID (Trademark) Aged Care for residents will result in a: 1. 20% reduction in preventable deterioration events due to nursing assessment and care. 2. 20% reduction in clinically inappropriate transfer of resident to ED. 3. 20% reduction in National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program(15) and other relevant, incoming critical event indicators. 4. 5% increase in satisfaction with care reported by resident or carer and RACF person-centred culture. 5. 10% increase the quantity (completeness) and quality (correctness) of nursing documentation, and nursing and medical satisfaction with clinical handover.

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death globally, nationally and locally. Currently in South Western Sydney Local Health District Interventional Cardiologists perform Percutaneous Coronary intervention (PCI) procedure which opens coronary arteries that are narrowed or blocked by the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque. PCI may also be used to relieve symptoms of coronary heart disease or to reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack. With new technology, engineering and training development, a technology-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) device has the potential to increase procedural accuracy, reduce radiation exposure to patients and staff, improved ergonomics, and reduce major adverse cardiac events. To date we are not aware of any randomised controlled trial data supporting this technology

The purpose of this study is to establish preliminary clinical safety, effectiveness, and useability data for the ES360 expandable/retractable introducer sheath in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. It is anticipated that the device will reduce major vascular injury and major bleeding events associated with transfemoral TAVR procedures. The device is also hypothesised to reduce the number of sheath insertions required during the procedure when used with TAVR delivery systems.

The current study aims to conduct a nation-wide, RCT of the efficacy of the multi-technology intervention that trains parents to be ‘ERP coaches’ for their children via four self-directed web-based modules and videoconference group sessions with a therapist (i.e., FAST-CBT: Families Accessing online Skills Training in CBT) relative to Waitlist Control (WLC) for children (4-12 years) with subclinical and clinical OCD. Primary outcomes include symptom severity, OCD-related impairment, family accommodation and cost effectiveness, assessed at post-treatment (2 month following baseline) and at the primary end point 6 months following treatment (FAST-CBT condition only). Diagnostic status over time will be examined to determine intervention effects and the prevention of clinical diagnoses (for sub-clinical children) at 6 months follow-up. Secondary aims will be to explore predictors of treatment response, including child age, OCD severity, co-morbid symptoms (internalising and externalising), and family functioning (accommodation, parental depression/ anxiety/stress, parenting practices/family functioning). Based on the primary aims, it is hypothesised that relative to WLC, FAST-CBT will: (a) be associated with significantly greater reductions in OCD severity, OCD-related impairment, and family accommodation at post-treatment and follow-up; (b) will result in significantly fewer sub-clinical children at baseline converging into clinical range at post and follow-up.

This phase 1 study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, trial of an oral drug called NB-4746 vs. placebo in normal healthy volunteers. The study will assess the safety and tolerability in single and multiple ascending dose cohorts.