ANZCTR search results

This study will investigate the feasibility and validity of Magnetic Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping with FerroTrace in Breast Cancer Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are female, aged between 18 and 75 years, have a confirmed diagnosis of primary breast cancer and are scheduled for a lumpectomy and a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) procedure as part of the surgical plan. Study details All participants in this study will receive single dose of FerroTrace and a single dose of radioisotope via intraparenchymal injections into the breast tissue the day prior to, or on the morning of, surgery. During surgery, a modified sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) will be performed, using a magnetometer probe to locate the magnetic tracer in sentinel nodes, followed by the standard gamma probe. At least one follow-up MRI of the breast will be performed 30 days after surgery, to assess tracer clearance, with additional MRIs at 90 days and 180 days after surgery if there is not complete clearance on the earlier post-operative MRI. It is hoped that this research project will lead to further studies and eventually the technology will be widely available so that patients with can have breast cancer surgery without the use of radioactive isotopes and dye.

Modern navies are focused on trying to shrink the size of their crews to exploit the benefits of new achievements in automation of ships systems. While technological advances are enablers, the performance of these advanced systems is only as good as the crews who man them. The ability to remain vigilant for an automation failure is impacted more severely by fatigue than are other mental functions. From a fatigue management point of view, most navies have sub-optimal watch systems that unnecessarily fatigue naval crews which results in sub-optimal crew performance. An overlooked opportunity exists on Subsurface vessels in that the natural light dark cycles can be manipulated. Theoretically this would be advantageous for a 2 watch system, but this is never been attempted under laboratory conditions. We hypothesise that sleep, cognitive performance, and physiological measures will differ between the watches within both a two-watch routine, and a three-watch routine. The research question is whether a two-watch or three-watch routine lead to better sleep, cognitive performance, and physiological functioning.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common, and makes people often feel symptoms, or have complications such as stroke. Doctors have many options for AF treatment, but these all have drawbacks. Tablets for AF often have side effects, and AF ablation is the most effective option we have, but unfortunately comes with risks of major complications. Researchers have therefore been looking for other options. SGLT2 inhibitors are medications, which are used to treat diabetes. Unexpectedly, this drug class was shown in a trial of 17,160 patients with heart failure, to reduce the rates of AF. This class of medication was developed as a diabetes medication, working on the kidney to increase the amount of sugar that the body gets rid of into the urine, and therefore lowering the sugar levels in the body. These medications have also been shown to reduce cardiovascular death, reduce heart failure and reduce renal failure. Researchers and doctors don’t exactly understand all the different ways that these medications lead to benefits, in particular how they reduce AF. There may be many different pathways in the body that impact the way that cells work. This project is to try and examine if dapagliflozin (an SGLT2 inhibitor) changes the electrical properties of the heart, to try and explain the reduction in AF that has been shown in trials.

Post-operative atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder that is a major clinical problem, affecting 15-30% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. It is associated with high rates of stroke, and increased mortality. Post-operative atrial fibrillation is thought to be caused by abnormalities in the physiological function of the atrium around the time of surgery. The current application is for a pilot open-label randomised controlled trial assessing the impact of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor pre-treatment on cardiac electrophysiology studies performed during cardiac surgery in 16 patients. The rationale for the study is that this medication has been shown in a very large randomised controlled trial (Wiviott SD et al. NEJM 2019 "DECLARE-TIMI 58" trial) to decrease incident atrial fibrillation by 19%. We therefore reason that these medications may potentially mediate this effect. The aim of the current study is to determine if pre-treatment will improve the electrical function of the atrium, or change the rates of postoperative atrial fibrillation.

The purpose of the research is to explore the educational, self-monitoring and self-management needs of patients living with indwelling urinary catheters in the community, from the perspective of the patients, carers and clinicians. Findings from this study will help to understand knowledge and attitudes towards indwelling catheters and how these shape behaviours and practices. Furthermore, understanding the needs of both patients and nurses will provide a foundation for the development of an acceptable, feasible and sustainable educational package for patients to self-monitor and self-manage their urinary catheters. The information will also assist clinicians to develop a patient-centred bundle of care aproach to meet patients needs and minimise anxiety and fear around catheters. Future educational interventions developed as a result of this project will improve clinicians’ confidence in providing catheter care to patients/carers and improve patients’ self- monitoring and self-management practices and thus minimise catheter associated complications and unnecessary hospital presentations.

Endometriosis is a common problem, affecting approximately ten percent of women of reproductive age. It has negative effects on quality of life through pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea and infertility. Current clinical examination and ultrasound techniques are not effective in diagnosing superficial endometriosis. This leaves laparoscopy, an invasive surgical procedure, as the current gold standard for diagnosis of endometriosis. Recent studies have shown a correlation between shorter anogenital distance (AGD) and the presence of endometriosis. This study aims to further examine this correlation, in the hope that AGD may be used as a clinical tool to predict the presence or absence of endometriosis in women considering laparoscopy. This study will aim to define an average anogenital distance in a cohort of women undergoing gynaecological surgery. It will also aim to investigate the relationship between anogenital distance and gynaecological conditions of interest, particularly endometriosis, and other patient factors that might be associated with a shorter or longer than average AGD. We will invite premenopausal women aged 18-50 undergoing gynaecological procedures with a general anaesthetic at the RWH to participate. They will be recruited pre-operatively and asked to complete an online survey to determine relevant demographic and health information. Their AGD measurements will be taken by the treating gynaecological team during their procedure and recorded. If the patient is undergoing laparoscopy, the operation notes and any histopathology results will be reviewed to determine the presence or absence of endometriosis. This study is hoped to add evidence of the correlation between short AGD and endometriosis. It will also help determine what the average AGD is in the adult gynaecological patient population, and other factors such as age, obesity, ethnicity, etc that may be associated with differences in the AGD.

The primary objective of this observational study is to validate a phosphate-specific FFQ by comparison with two 24 hour multi pass recalls in a cohort of individuals with end stage kidney failure undertaking dialysis.

Delayed identification of childhood developmental and behavioural problems and its impact on school readiness have been consistently reported. Whilst Australia has an excellent State-based Child Health and Developmental Screening and Surveillance program its utilisation in children under 5-years is < 20%. Poor uptake is due, in part, to parental access issues, perceived usefulness and the clinical complexities of referrals and managements. At present there is no proven system to improve surveillance attendance and its impact on costs and school readiness. In this study we hope to test the efficacy of integrating a web-based comprehensive developmental surveillance and child health nurse triage supported system in primary care to determine if it effectively engages parents improving long-term attendance, early intervention and school readiness.

This study will measure whether an intensive, long-term rehabilitation program can be delivered safely and effectively to people living with chronic spinal cord injury in Australia. It will also measure whether long-term intensive rehabilitation improves overall health, social outcomes and functional recovery for people living with chronic spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether intra-infusion exercise (exercise during chemotherapy infusion) can also improve chemotherapy side effects and physical activity levels in patients with breast, colorectal and ovarian cancer. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged between 18-75 years old, have been diagnosed with Stage I-III breast, colorectal or ovarian cancer, and are currently undergoing or are planned to undergo chemotherapy. Study details The study consists of four chemotherapy treatment sessions with the first being used to obtain baseline measures, followed by three intervention sessions. After the initial baseline session, participants will be randomised (i.e. allocated by chance) to either an intra-infusion exercise group or usual-care control group. For each of the three intervention sessions, the exercise group will perform 20 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise during the chemotherapy infusion period. The control group will continue with routine clinical care. During the recovery period, the exercise group will be provided with exercise education by an accredited exercise physiologist. The control group will be involved in an education session during the infusion with the accredited exercise physiologist to receive the same exercise education as the exercise group. All participants will wear an Actigraph (a movement-detecting device) for one week following the baseline and post-intervention session and complete a 7-day symptom diary following each intervention session. A Fitbit will be worn continuously by the participant for the duration of the study to capture daily physical activity. Participants will also fill out a number of questionnaires before and after completion of the study. Participants will be asked if they would like to participate in an optional exit interview with a member of the research team at the end of the study. It is hoped that this study may demonstrate that intra-infusion exercise reduces chemotherapy side effects, improves quality of life, and increases physical activity levels in patients with breast, colorectal or ovarian cancer undergoing chemotherapy.