ANZCTR search results

We aim to prospectively validate a scoring system, the SALT score, in a cohort of patients with anterior skull base tumours undergoing endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery. We will assess how much patients drink and urinate in the days after surgery, as well as routine blood tests, to establish if patients develop diabetes insipidus, a condition where patients are not able to concentrate their urine. We will then assess whether the SALT score was able to predict which patients developed diabetes insipidus.

This project will look at the effects effect of a single 30-minute session using the MetaNeb® device versus a single session of directed huff and cough (control) on the primary outcome of lung structure, regional perfusion and ventilation and secondary outcomes of respiratory mechanics, airflow obstruction, sputum expectoration and symptoms related to CF in adults with stable CF. Our hypothesis is, in this population, a single MetaNeb® treatment, will be more effective in changing and/or improving these primary and secondary outcomes than huff and cough alone.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of an enhanced, online parenting program that provides parents with strategies to reduce their adolescent’s risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. An existing parenting program (Partners in Parenting, PiP) will be enhanced to include COVID-19-specific content, online peer support groups, and responsive content added to the program based on topics identified by parents in the peer support groups. The new program, PiP-Plus, will provide parents with: 1) tailored feedback about their current parenting; 2) up to 10 interactive online modules designed to support parents to make changes to their parenting, including content about parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic; and 3) access to an online peer support group with other parents completing PiP-Plus. All parents of teenagers aged 12-to-17 years in Australia, who speak English and have internet access, can take part in the trial. We aim to find out whether completing the PiP-Plus program can help improve parents’ confidence in parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their feelings of psychological distress, social support, parenting behaviours associated with adolescent depression and anxiety, and in turn symptoms of depression and anxiety in their teenagers.

standard method will include a verbal explanation of the procedure including: surgical complications, potential benefits, details of the injury and surgical management. The detailed method will include the same information as the standard but the process will be supplemented by a written tool, including procedural information and visual aids. We hypothesise that the patients that are consented utilising the detailed method will have greater overall post-operative recall in comparison to the patients that receive the standard consent method.

This study aims to determine whether injection of a corticosteroid (triamcinolone acetonide) directly into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lesions of elderly patients (older than 70) is safe and whether this drug has any effect on the size of the lesions. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 70 or older, you have at least one lesion on either of your legs clinically consistent with low-grade SCC, and you have been deemed to be at high risk of surgical complications because of pre-existing lower limbs conditions (such as diabetes mellitus, chronic venous disease affecting the lower limbs, previous lower leg cellulitis, previous poor wound healing at the legs, lower limb oedema). Study details All participants who choose to enrol in this study will undergo a biopsy of one of their SCC lesions to determine the severity of the lesion and whether they are eligible to enrol in this study. Two weeks after this biopsy, eligible participants will be randomly allocated by chance (similar to flipping a coin) to have their SCC lesion injected with either the corticosteroid drug or a placebo (sterile injection solution). A maximum of one injection will be made over a 5 week period. Prior to this injection and after the last review at 5 weeks, all participants will be asked to complete two questionnaires about their lower limb function and quality of life. These questionnaires are anticipated to take 20 minutes. No further study visits will be required after the 5 weeks. It is hoped this research will demonstrate that corticosteroid injection into SCC lesions is safe and able to reduce the size of the lesions, which may then be used to improve health outcomes for future patients with SCC.

Local anaesthetic injections to the nose may be painful and patients often require intravenous sedation. At the same time, local anaesthetics injections to the nose may lead to sneezing especially when performed in a sedated state. Sneezing during these injections however poses potential patient safety concern, potential infectious spread via aerosol generation and an occupational health hazard. We hypothesise that administering intravenous fentanyl (a strong opioid) as part of intravenous sedation may lessen the incidence of sneezing in these circumstances. The primary aim of the study therefore is to determine whether administration of intravenous fentanyl as part of propofol-based intravenous sedation given prior to nasal injection of local anaesthetics will reduce the rate of sneezing compared to propofol-only intravenous sedation in adults undergoing plastic surgery to the nose.

The purpose of this trial is to test the specificity and sensitivity of two types of sensors, used in the Saiiv device, in detecting AF when compared to ECG. Other vital signs including blood pressure (and related arterial stiffness) as well as mechanical performance of the heart will also be measured and compared with standard measurement techniques.

Sperm selection for ICSI is a highly subjective process based on the embryologist’s perception of what looks like the best sperm. There are currently no evidenced-based methods to select high quality sperm during the ICSI process. Given the huge body of evidence showing that sperm quality impacts both fertilization and child health, we predict the development of artificial intelligence (AI) assisted sperm selection will have positive impacts for infertile couples and their children. This study aims to capture images of sperm shape and movement using a video imaging system during ICSI. This information from each sperm that is injected will be matched with each embryo outcome, as well as the clinical information and reproductive outcomes from the IVF cycle to create a machine learning tool to choose the best sperm for ICSI. Machine learning is a type of AI, where a computer uses mathematical models based on sample data, known as training data, to make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed to do so i.e., without human bias. The information collected will be used to develop a machine learning sperm selection tool to aid the scientist in selecting the sperm during ICSI with best potential for fertility.

Proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) is a common condition in the active and sporting population. It can also occur in less active individuals. There is limited research regarding the efficacy of various treatment options for this condition. One study has shown improved pain and function from shockwave therapy, however the comparison group in this trial were provided with non-specific treatments as well as treatments mechanistically hypothesisied to be detrimental to this condition. A research trial is planned to compare individualised physiotherapy to shockwave therapy for PHT.

Non-mydriatic fundus photography (NMFP) has been demonstrated to improve detection of fundus abnormalities in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). Despite this, there is limited knowledge and education amongst ED doctors and medical students on how to interpret fundus images. This study aims to create an online e-learning program that will improve the diagnostic accuracy of fundus interpretation.