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The primary purpose of this study is to improve the healing of an injury to the extensor tendon of the finger known as ‘mallet finger’ by improved splinting. The disorder is caused by disruption of the extensor tendon to the most distal bone of the finger, resulting in an inability to fully straighten the finger. The current standard care for mallet finger injuries uses a splint that statically immobilises the most distal finger joint (DIPJ) in extension. However, in many patients the tendon heals slightly long, ending up with them losing the ability to fully extend their finger, known as a lag. Therefore, we propose using an additional splint that attaches to the adjacent (uninjured) fingers just beyond the knuckles and lifts the injured finger up slightly, known as an extension relative motion splint (ERMS). This results in the injured finger adopting a slightly flexed posture that relaxes the extensor tendon. We hypothesise that this will result in improved healing of the extensor tendon and therefore a reduced risk of lag. Importantly, the uninjured joints can still be fully straightened whilst wearing the ERMS, to prevent them becoming contracted in one position. This project will randomise around 60 patients to have either one (standard) or two (standard and ERMS) moulded plastic splints. The patients will also be stratified according to whether or not they have a small associated fracture. Splinting will be for eight weeks, with an additional two weeks if there is a lag noted after 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be extensor lag measured at two weeks after ceasing full time splinting. Secondary outcomes will be patient satisfaction, active range of motion (AROM) at the DIPJ, change in AROM at the proximal finger joint, total AROM of the finger, and complications.

The study aims to determine the health benefits of oral probiotics in improving the post-operative recovery following appendicectomy for acute appendicitis. Children with appendicitis will randomly allocated to receive probiotics or placebo for 1 month following appendicectomy. We will collect information regarding post-operative recovery (e.g. return to normal physical activities, number of bowel actions, etc.) to confirm if probiotics might be beneficial following surgery and provide a quicker recovery.

The purpose of this study is to compare the pharmacokinetics (what the body does to a drug), Pharmacodynamics (effect of drugs on the body), immunogenicity (ability to provoke an immune response) and safety of BP13 with Neupogen in healthy males. Who is it for? Healthy male aged 18 to 55 years. Study details All participants in this study will undergo treatment utilizing a double-blind, randomized, parallel, controlled study design. The total study duration for each subject is expected to be approximately 15 days (excluding the 28-day screening period). This drug is recommended for use in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, to reduce the incidence of infection. All participants will undergo regular blood tests and safety assessments throughout the study, in order to evaluate how the body responds to the drug. We hope that BP13 (filgrastim) will be comparable to Neupogen, warranting further investigational trials to evaluate its efficacy in cancer patients.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine if the level of concern of parents and healthcare workers, within the emergency setting, can help improve diagnostic accuracy for paediatric sepsis.

Allogeneic Stem Cell transplant (alloSCT) is a curative procedure for many blood disorders and involves the transplantation of donor blood cells into a compatible recipient. Engraftment is a key milestone of success of alloSCT and is measured by standard blood tests to ensure normal levels of blood cells as well as a specialised blood test to confirm this blood is being produced by donor tissue. Poor graft function (PGF) is a significant complication of alloSCT and results in poor blood cell production by engrafted donor tissue. Aplastic anaemia(AA) is an autoimmune disease that results in the body's own immune cells attacking the bone marrow (the organ that produces blood cells) resulting in decreased production of blood cells. The mechanisms leading to PGF and AA are similar. There is evidence that the bone marrow microenvironment, the ecosystem in which blood cells reside, is abnormal in both PGF and AA. Atorvastatin is an old drug that has been used to treat high cholestrol and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) has been used as an antioxidant to treat paracetamol overdose. There is evidence that atorvastatin and NAC may be able to reverse this microenvironment dysfunction in PGF and AA. This study is aimed at testing the efficacy and safety of atorvastatin and NAC in the treatment of PGF and relapsed/refractory Aplastic anaemia.

The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of integrating consumer behaviour strategies (including menu labelling, item positioning, tailored feedback & prompts) into an online canteen ordering system, to improve the nutritional quality of foods purchased by secondary school students via online canteens. This study will employ a clustered randomised controlled design. Ten NSW secondary schools currently using an online canteen ordering system will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the intervention or control (standard online ordering only). Intervention effectiveness will be assessed via between group differences in the proportion of online orders classified as ‘Everyday’, ‘Occasional’ or ‘Should Not Be Sold’ according to the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy, using purchase data automatically recorded by the online ordering system at baseline (the 2-month period prior to intervention commencement) and follow up (the 2-month period immediately post-intervention commencement).

Distal pancreatectomy is a surgical procedure commonly used to remove tumours in the body and tail of the pancreas. Postoperative pancreatic fistula formation, where fluid leaks from the remaining pancreas into the abdomen, is the most common and significant surgical complication after this surgery. This can lead to further complications such as intra-abdominal abscess, bleeding, sepsis, and delayed emptying of the stomach. Different techniques have been tried to reduce the rate of POPF. The most successful to date is the use of staples to close the cut edge of the pancreas but the rate of fistula formation continues to be clinically significant. Polyethylene glycol sealants have been successfully used in lung resection surgery to stop air leaks. This type of sealant has not been tested in pancreatic surgery. This study will examine if a polyethylene glycol sealant reduces the rate of postoperative pancreatic fistula formation when used in conjunction with stapling to seal the pancreas.

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and impact of a telehealth cancer-related fatigue clinic model of care. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 or older, you have completed your primary cancer treatment (including surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy) at least 6 weeks ago, or you have completed at least 3-months of maintenance treatment (ongoing cancer therapy, such as hormone therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy) at Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) Outpatient Clinics. Study details Participants in this study will be randomised by chance (like flipping a coin) into two groups. One group will receive standard follow-up care as determined by their treating cancer specialists as well as a booklet on cancer-related fatigue. The other group will undergo the telehealth fatigue clinic model of care. This involves three telehealth appointments (up to 60 minutes) with a specialist nurse at 2, 14 and 26 weeks after you have been enrolled. Participants in the second group will also be offered follow-up phone calls in between the telehealth appointments to check their progress. As part of the study all participants will answer a series of questionnaires at 3, 6 and 12 months after enrolment. It is hoped this research will demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of the new telehealth model of care which could influence future cancer-related fatigue care.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the Outback Quit Pack, an information and pharmacological support pack, for those who are trying to quit smoking, is feasible, effective and acceptable to participants. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are an adult residing in rural, regional and remote areas of New South Wales who is trying to quit smoking. Study details Participants will be randomly allocated to either: Arm A: the Outback Quit Pack intervention, and receive nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine lozenge counselling and self-help materials; or, Arm B: a minimal support group which receives an information sheet about support for quitting smoking. Participants will complete a survey after the 12-week program to assess their tobacco smoking. If feasible, the Outback Quit Pack may become a model for cancer risk reduction intervention for other health risk behaviours.

Late-onset sepsis (bloodstream infection) remains one of the most common complications of extremely early birth (more than 3 months before the due date). Skin condition in preterm infants deteriorates quickly after birth and the majority of bloodstream infections are caused by bacteria that reside on the skin. At present there is no available skin care product with proven benefit on skin condition and rates of infection. In this new trial, Neonatal Intensive Care Units of the Australia and New Zealand Neonatal Network will be randomly allocated to either using topical coconut oil or their current standard of skin care for all infants born extremely early to determine if coconut oil may reduce the rate of bloodstream infections. The findings of this trial could be readily translated into clinical practice.