ANZCTR search results

Aims: to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a prophylactic silicone foam border dressing in preventing sacral (tailbone) hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) in at-risk medical-surgical patients; describe the characteristics and clinical care received by patients who develop a sacral HAPI up to 14 days, or until hospital discharge or death after sacral HAPI occurrence; and understand patients' and staff perspectives on the use of prophylactic dressing. Hypotheses: Primary hypothesis: The cumulative incidence of patients who develop sacral HAPI up to 14 days of admission will be less in patients who are randomly allocated to the intervention group (i.e. routine care plus the trial dressing) compared to patients allocated to the control group (i.e. routine care only). Secondary hypotheses: The intervention group will have better outcomes compared to the control, including 1) time to onset of sacral HAPI; 2) incidence of severity (stage) of sacral HAPI; 3) cost-effectiveness; and 4) process evaluation.

South Asian Mother's Becoming Active (SAMBA) is a culturally-sensitive and collaboratively-designed intervention to support South Asian women to become more physically active. The intervention was developed through community-based participatory research, that included focus group discussions and individual interviews with women from the South Asian community. The aim of the intervention is to implement and evaluate a pilot, single-blinded randomized controlled trial with an experimental group of 40 South Asian women, and a delayed matched-control group, at two community settings in metropolitan Perth. Women from the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali and Bhutanese communities will be recruited to take part. We will assess changes in levels of objectively-measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and BMI; in addition to self-reported physical activity-related motivation, and psychological well being.

Our research team is part of a group that has been awarded a grant to establish the Prevention Hub Mental Health Research Program. The Prevention Hub will focus on implementing and evaluating preventative strategies for anxiety and depression in workplace, school, and healthcare settings to achieve the greatest possible impact and reach. This application is intended to cover pilot of a smartphone-based intervention (Anchored) aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing within Australian workers. Participants will complete assessments at baseline and 5 weeks post-baseline. The primary aim of the pilot is to test the impact of the Anchored app on reducing depressive symptoms among employed Australians. The pilot also aims to: - test the impact of the Anchored app on anxiety, wellbeing, resilience, and work productivity. - explore participant engagement with the activities in the app. - explore level of satisfaction with the app and confidence in managing stressors.

V-A ECMO is a specialised cardiorespiratory support for patients with severe heart dysfunction. ECMO supports the circulation via a pump, and gas exchange (oxygen and carbon dioxide) occurs via an external membrane. ECMO patients are vulnerable to both rapid weight loss as well as complications related to overfeeding. Therefore the provision of the correct amount of nutrition is an essential element of care. However, we are currently uncertain of how to accurately determine the energy they require, as gas exchange across the external membrane means current measures are inaccurate. The aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of measuring carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption across the ECMO membrane as well as the lung in 30 mechanically ventilated critically ill patients receiving V-A ECMO at two points during Intensive Care Unit admission. Exact energy expenditure has not previously been established in V-A ECMO. The completion of this study will work towards improving the accuracy of nutrition delivery in this patient group.

Aim: To determine the interobserver variability of ultrasound of the spinal cord performed on infants by clinicians. Hypothesis: We hypothesise that clinician performed ultrasound reliably and reproducibly identifies the end of the spinal cord in newborn infants. If reliable, the use of spinal ultrasound would enhance the safety of infants undergoing lumbar puncture by ensuring that the location of puncture occurs below the end of the spinal cord thus eliminating the risk of cord injury.

Intermittent fasting diets have been shown to reduce body weight, fat mass, lower skeletal muscle insulin resistance and improve overall metabolic health. However, the specific mechanisms are far from being fully understood and the impact of intermittent fasting on lean body mass remains unknown. The present study assesses the effect of intermittent fasting regimens and continuous energy restriction on skeletal muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis rates in vivo in humans. We hypothesize that 1.) alternate day fasting and continuous energy restriction will reduce rates of muscle protein synthesis compared with a control diet and 2) time restricted eating will not lower muscle protein synthesis when compared with a control diet.

Aim:the purpose of this study is to explore the different body types to see if there is a relationship with body type and the temperature and moisture build up around the buttock area skin during a critical illness. As a secondary outcome the study will also explore whether certain body types are more likely to develop skin injuries known as pressure injuries (PI) when compared to the other body types during a critical illness. Participants: All patients with a critical illness admitted to the ICU who meet the inclusion criteria will be screened for eligibility. Recruitment will be stratified according to body shape. Methods: Quantitative method. Prospective, observation, exploratory study design. Expected outcomes: This type of study has never been done before. This study will build on the known science about the skin and critical illness and it will provide new information on factors which can contribute to PI development for patients in the ICU.

This study will compare the costs of two routinely used skin treatments (Mepitel film and Strata XRT gel) during radiation therapy in breast cancer patients. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are a woman aged 18 and above, have been diagnosed with breast cancer, have undergone mastectomy and are scheduled to receive radiation therapy. Study details: Participants in this study are randomly allocated (by chance) to one of two groups. Participants in one group will have Mepitel film applied by a radiation oncology nurse before radiation therapy and reviewed at regular intervals throughout treatment period, with the film being replaced when necessary. Participants in the other group will apply Strata XRT gel themselves to the treatment area twice daily from the day of radiation therapy until two weeks after radiation therapy is completed. Cost and effectiveness of each treatment will be assessed by evaluating the cost of the skin care and the time taken by nursing staff per patient. Skin reactions will be assessed by clinicians, graded according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0 and novel CPMCCW Chest Toxicity Scale. Participants will be followed-up at a minimum of once a week during treatment (minimum 5 visits), at one-week and two-weeks post-treatment, then weekly until skin reactions resolve (if applicable) and a final review 6 weeks after completion of RT. It is hoped that this information will improve current skin care practices and minimise or prevent skin reactions caused by radiation therapy.

The TACTICS study will implement a multimodal package, which combines advanced CT imaging with modern post processing methods optimised for stroke, with access to EVT in hub hospitals with the resources to provide the required service and follow-up. This will be combined with a support package of systems improvement resources focused around acute stroke reperfusion pathways and protocols.

Chronic low back pain (LBP), that is LBP that has persisted for longer than 3 months, is a growing health burden. One factor that contributes to the burden of low back pain is that the improvements in symptoms that effective treatments provide are not sustained over time. Effective treatments for LBP are becoming increasing complex. There is need to develop and test interventions aimed at maintaining the initial improvements from complex interventions. One way to maintain improvements from complex interventions is by implementing booster interventions. The aim of a booster session is to maintain improvements in symptoms by reinforcing the training components of the intervention. The RESOLVE will provide platform to test the feasibility of a booster intervention. The RESOLVE trial assesses the effectiveness of two complex treatment programs that combine central nervous system-directed and traditional interventions to promote recovery in participants with chronic LBP (the protocol is described elsewhere). One method to sustain any benefits achieved as a result of such a complex treatment intervention, such as in the RESOLVE trial, is to include a booster session.