ANZCTR search results

Muscle wasting, or atrophy, is a widespread problem in elderly human populations, and greatly increases the chances of falls and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural food-derived nutrient (found in many herbs such as Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), Origanum vulgare (oregano), and the peel of fruits such as apples) has been shown in rodents to prevent muscle atrophy and promote muscle growth. However, the bioavailability, safety and tolerability of orally ingested ursolic acid in humans is not fully known. Therefore, our aims for this study are: To determine the bio-availability, safety and tolerability of orally ingested Ursolic Acid in healthy men. We hypothesise that Ursolic Acid will be adequately absorbed to elicit a measurable appearance in the blood in a dose response fashion. We expect to see the greatest bioavailability in the blood from the 1500mg dose with no substantial increase in Adverse Events at this dose.

The aim of the study is to examine the effect of a telecare health coaching intervention on function in people with subacute and chronic low back pain. We hypothesise that the addition of health coaching to GP usual care will be more effective in improving function than usual GP care alone. The intervention will involve health coaching directed towards 4 core components: (2 Mandatory components) Physical activity and specific exercises; pain coping strategies; (2 Optional components) weight management; and sleep hygeine. There will be a 4 month intensive phase with regular health coaching sessions followed by a 2 month maintenance phase involving a minimum of 1 session. Exercise and physical activity pain symptoms as well as adherence will be completed online by the participant and if pain levels rise or adherence reduces the care manager will be automatically alerted to make contact with the participant.

This study aims to evaluate the uptake of Advance Care Planning (ACP) for people with chronic diseases in acute and community settings. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above, are admitted to a ward/community centre in a participating hospital or community setting, and have a chronic health condition (diabetes, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cancer, frailty and/or dementia). Study details Participants admitted to an intervention site will receive Advance Care Planning assistance from a specially trained registered nurse. This involves a series of facilitated conversations regarding you or your family member’s healthcare wishes for the future. Participants admitted to a control site will receive standard care only. This study will measure uptake of Advance Care Planning. Participants will also be followed up after 6 months in order to evaluate the level of satisfaction with their healthcare experience. It is hoped that this study will promote Advance Care Planning conversations as part of routine (normal) clinical practice.

Our study will examine if the use of intermittent boluses improves pain and decreases opioid use when compared to continuous infusions when delivered through an exrtrapleural catheter in patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), a form of lung surgery. We will also investigate whether lung function is improved in the post-operative period. Design: Randomised single centre blinded clinical trial. Both groups will receive the same overall dose of ropivacaine.

Very low dose multiple combination antihypertensive pharmacotherapy can improve risk/benefit compared to (conventional) moderate dose simple combination therapy because the multiple actions lower blood pressure (BP) more efficiently and the lower doses cause fewer adverse effects. We aim in stable hypertensive patients to carefully quantify and compare blood pressure, tolerability and all adverse effects on 2 different dose very low dose multiple combination antihypertensive regimens, compared to moderate dose simple combination regimen. All patients will receive the 3 treatments, in randomised sequence. All patient file data will be entered into a database by a Research Assistant. All data recorded will be de-identified. All patient data recorded will remain confidential, kept secure in a computer database on a computer locked in the research office. The Principal Investigator will not discuss data collected with the patients during the study. Statistical variance in Polypill treatments like these is not established. This is a pilot trial. The statistical analysis will be undertaken on Excel under the oversight of Professor Hans Stampfer. Should either efficacy or safety appear encouraging, we will seek grant support to extend the study to 3 sites, to recruit sufficient numbers to best establish risk/benefit of the Polypill regimen. A consultation after the study will resolve recommendations for ongoing treatment.

Circadian misalignment disrupts REM sleep, a stage of sleep which is important for fear memory processing. The aim of this study is to explore whether the sleep aid melatonin, when administered prior to circadian misalignment, will rescue REM sleep and recover fear inhibition processes. This study will provide important insight into the relationship between REM sleep and processes critical for treatment and recovery from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

This is a cluster crossover trial to determine whether fluid therapy with a buffered salt solution (Plasmalyte-148) reduces the time to resolution of acidosis compared to 0.9% sodium chloride (saline) in critically ill patients presenting to the emergency department with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). • We hypothesise that the use of PL as fluid therapy in these patients will lead to earlier resolution of acidosis and avoidance of hyperchloraemia, thereby reducing morbidity and length of stay

When we eat may be just as important for health and well-being as what we eat. The overall aim of this observational study is to examine patterns of eating (i.e. frequency, timing and content of meals and snacks), physical activity, sleep and mood and how these behaviours interact in Australian adults aged 18 to 65 years. The lifestyle behaviours will be assessed using a Smartphone food diary and established questionnaires, and a detailed follow up (including objective measures of health outcomes) will be undertaken in a subgroup of participants. This project will provide us with important information that can be used to develop healthy eating messages.

Intubation speed by ‘experts’ in a simulated model of cardiac arrest with continuous chest compressions. This study will examine the ability of intubating specialists to follow current guidelines and intubate during continuous CPR, which is rarely seen in clinical practice. This is a manikin based study, with practicing anaesthetists as participants for an ideal model. Participants will use either a direct or videolaryngoscope to intubate, and will then use the alternate device in this crossover study.

The purpose of this study is to examine a new clinician administered care model addressing fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer survivors. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 or above and have undergone curative treatment for stage I to III breast cancer. Study details All participants in this study will partake in a 10 minute educational intervention which provides patients with advice regarding their fear of cancer recurrence. The program is delivered by their usual breast oncologist at a routine follow-up clinic. All participants will be asked to complete three questionnaires, one prior to the follow-up appointment, and again at 1 week and 3 months after the follow-up appointment. Additionally participants will be invited to participate in an interview about their experiences in participating in this program. It is hoped that this research provide some preliminary evidence that the intervention is effective in preventing the development of high fear-of-cancer-recurrence in breast cancer survivors.