ANZCTR search results

This is a blinded, non-inferiority, randomised control trial, in females aged 18-40 years undergoing general anaesthesia. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether different depths of anaesthesia affect quality of recovery post-operatively. Healthy participants, aged 18-40, will be recruited from surgical lists and enrolled prior to surgery. Data collection will occur intra-operatively, post-operatively in recovery and at 24-hours and 7-days post-operation. We hypothesise that depth of anaesthesia will not affect quality of recovery in young female patients undergoing general anaesthesia.

This will be a pilot trial involving 40 students currently enrolled at the University of Newcastle. After providing written informed consent, participants will be sent several questionnaires to complete at baseline. Participants will then participate in twice weekly exercise/psychoeducation sessions that are facilitated by exercise physiology/exercise science students (under the supervision of an Accredited Exercise Physiologist). Participants will also be provided with an individualised exercise program to complete outside of the supervised sessions. At the end of the training period, Participants will be sent the same questionnaires as baseline to complete. Participants and their peer facilitators will be asked to complete a feedback survey and be invited to participate in focus groups to describe their experiences in the program.

Delirium is one of the most common neurological problems among hospitalized patients, especially in the intensive care unit (ICU). The prevalence of delirium among hospitalized patients ranges from 9.6% to 94.8%. Delirium is a risk factor for increased hospital length of stay (LOS) and decreased chance of home discharge. Patients experiencing agitated delirium often have poorer outcomes. In response, we will perform a single centre pilot randomised controlled trial of enteral guanfacine vs quetiapine for agitated delirium in patients in the intensive care unit. A total of 36 eligible patients will be allocated, on a 1:1 basis to either guanfacine or quetiapine for a period of 7-days while in ICU. Our findings will provide insights into the safety, efficacy and feasibility of guanfacine administration to agitated ICU patients.

Thousands of older Australians with hip, knee and low back pain are referred for surgical consultation, wait extended periods without alternative evidence-based care, and 75% have three or more chronic disease risks (e.g., overweight, smoker). We previously found a Healthy Lifestyle program for Pain (HeLP) reduced disability and improved quality of life. Now we seek to test the best method to scale up the program. We will test if an Individual Self-Paced training model is as effective as a Group Training model on the use of HeLP in physiotherapy settings. We expect to find similar results between groups.

In this project we will implement a genetic testing service in the residential aged care setting, looking specifically at genes involved in the processing of medications (i.e. pharmacogenomics). The aim of the project is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing this service using the RE-AIM framework. DNA samples of aged care residents will be collected via cheek swabs and sent to a commercial genotyping provider (myDNA) to generate a pharmacogenomic report. The report will be sent to the resident's pharmacist who will interpret it and make a recommendation regarding the resident's medication to their prescriber. Barriers and facilitators to implementing pharmacogenomics will be identified by interviewing stakeholders including residents, clinical staff, pharmacists and prescribers. A cost-benefit analysis will be conducted comparing medication-related harm in residents the did/did not partake in pharmacogenomic testing. We expect to understand the feasibility, clinical and financial utility of implementing pharmacogenomic testing in aged care.

In this trial, we are trying to evaluate the potential interactions of an experimental new drug NB-4746 with other drugs that may be used by patients suffering from Motor Neurone Disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). NB-4746 blocks certain processes in nerve cells that promote axonal degeneration, and has shown potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in preclinical studies. This drug-drug interaction study is conducted to characterize the potential of NB-4746 to interact with caffeine and midazolam, two probe drugs dependent on CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 metabolism, respectively. Results from this study will support the design of future clinical trials in patient settings.

For people with mental illness, social prescribing has demonstrated the ability to improve a person’s physical health, mental health, self-efficacy, enhance social participation, vocational and work readiness, decrease hospital admissions and improve quality of life. Permaculture has not previously been explored in combination with social prescribing for adults with mental illness. Permaculture is an ethics and values-driven approach to living that can be applied to all aspects of life, including mental health. This study will employ a multi-methods research design guided by a realist evaluation to assess what extent ‘GROW SHARE’ improves Quality of Life, psychological distress and loneliness. The impact on permaculture knowledge and skills and what works for whom, in what what circumstances, how and why will also be investigated. It is anticipated that this research will demonstrate preliminary evidence of the GROW SHARE social prescribing of permaculture program for people living with mental illness implemented at Primary and Community Care Services.

Acute kidney injury is common in critically ill patients, especially in those requiring vasopressor therapy. We hypothesize that an intravenous infusion of amino acids in such patients will increase glomerular function without tubular injury when compared to a balanced crystalloid solution of equal volume. In this two-centre, pilot safety and efficacy randomised controlled trial we plan to enrol 60 adult patients with the study drug delivered via infusion while the participant is in the intensive care unit.

Control Phase This study aims to understand the needs, resource and supportive care service use and to understand the current supportive care referral practices of the surgical unit. You may be eligible for this study if you are a male or female age 18 or older in the surgical unit and diagnosed with pancreaticobiliary cancer or carer of the patient who meets this condition. You can also participate if you are a Hepatic Pancreatic and Biliary surgeon/nurse caring for patients diagnosed with pancreatobiliary cancer at Flinders Medical Centre. Study details As a cancer survivor/carer, you will be involved in 1 interview (30-45 minutes). During the interview, you will be asked about your cancer-related needs, resource and supportive care service access. You will also be asked to fill out 2 cancer-related needs surveys (Supportive Care Needs Survey Short Form 34, Distress Thermometer). You will also participate in a phone conversation that is expected to take 15 minutes, 6 months, and 12 months after enrolling in the study. During the phone call, you will be asked to complete the 2 cancer-related needs surveys again. As a staff member, you will be involved in 1 interview that is expected to take 30-45 minutes. During the interview, you will be asked about your typical resource provision and referral to supportive care services in your surgical unit. The information gained will provide a baseline for when we implement changes to clinical care, allowing us to track any changes. Implementation Phase The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of the tailored resource and supportive care navigation tool. You may be eligible for this study if you are a male or female age 18 or older in the surgical unit and diagnosed with pancreaticobiliary cancer or carer of the patient who meets this condition. You can also participate if you are a Hepatic Pancreatic and Biliary surgeon/nurse caring for patients diagnosed with pancreatobiliary cancer at Flinders Medical during the implementation phase of the project. Study details As a cancer survivor, you will be involved in 1 interview (30-45 minutes) to discuss your experiences of the new resource and navigation tool, complete a questionnaire about how acceptable you found the resource and navigation tool, and complete 2 cancer-related surveys (Supportive Care Needs Survey Short Form 34, Distress Thermometer) You will also participate in a phone conversation (approx.15 minutes), 6 and 12 months after enrolling in the study, during which you will repeat the 2 cancer-related surveys. As a staff member, you will be involved in 4 interviews that are expected to take 30-45 minutes to discuss your experiences using the new resource and navigation tool including time spent, barriers and feedback. In this project, we will hope to understand the use of the newly developed resource and navigation tool and the impact on people diagnosed with pancreatobiliary cancer.

By embedding implementation science principles, IMPACT will enable the incorporation of clinical pathways into contemporary, patient-centred models of care across Tasmanian emergency departments (EDs) and the broader health sector, thereby improving the quality, efficiency and experience of acute care. The project will engage with all relevant stakeholders (consumers, ED clinicians, other community- and hospital-based health professionals, and policy makers). The experience in Tasmania will inform the development of a national acute care implementation science laboratory. We will reduce variation in care, improve service delivery, outcomes and efficiency of acute care, reduce pressure on EDs, and generate new knowledge applicable to assisting Australians living in rural and regional communities, when they are at their most vulnerable.