ANZCTR search results

To compare the outcomes (both analgesic and functional outcomes) between two methods of analgesia for knee replacement surgery, and determine if the addition of intrathecal morphine to a standardised regime including large dose local infiltration anaesthesia is equivalent, better, or worse than current best practice.

This study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week online and individually-tailored physiotherapy intervention, involving exercise and coaching program in people with knee osteoarthritis who regularly take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The intervention will be focused on reducing medication use, increase physical activity and pain management. The study will involve participants with knee osteoarthritis who regularly take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to be monitored for 6 weeks as they take their medication and seek care, as they normally would do (usual care). After 6 weeks, participants will start a 12-week online physiotherapy intervention, which will include 6 physiotherapy consultations involving strength training exercise, coaching to reduce medication use and improve physical activity, and pain coping skills training using an online platform (pain trainer).

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Isatuximab (a new drug), when combined with chemotherapy, improves response to treatment. Who is it for? You may be eligible to participate in this trial if you are aged 18 years or over, have been newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma and are not a candidate for high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. Study Details Eligible participants will receive lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Ld). Participants who have inadequate response to upfront treatment with Ld, will have the addition of Isatuximab. Treatment (each cycle is 28 days) will be given until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent. Participants will be required to have blood samples taken at the beginning of each cycle along with a medical exam in order for researchers to monitor whether the treatment is safe and whether it is effectively treating the myeloma. It is hoped that the findings of this trial will establish the benefits of Isatuximab in combination with Ld for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients early in the course of their disease.

This study aims to determine if continuous thoracic erector spinae block is as effective as continuous thoracic paravertebral block in providing analgesia to patients with unilateral, multiple rib fractures. If similar analgesia is achieved with the continuous thoracic erector spinae block, it will become a viable, less invasive and simpler alternative to the continuous thoracic paravertebral block which may result in more patients receiving timely analgesia. Participants will be randomised to receive either the erector spinae or paravertebral intervention. The primary outcome is pain scores, at rest and with coughing, provided by patients at 24hrs and 72hrs after the intervention.

Major abdominal surgery is a common procedure associated with significant postoperative pain and morbidity. The importance of high quality perioperative care is clear, and effective postoperative analgesia is fundamental to recovery. Intrathecal Morphine (ITM) is an increasingly popular analgesic option in major abdominal surgery and in laparascopic colorectal surgery, has been reported to reduce pain scores and total opioid consumption. In the context of a worldwide opioid epidemic, strategies to minimise opioid use whilst optimising patient comfort and functional recovery are priorities in the perioperative setting. We believe ITM will be superior to intravenous analgesia alone in terms of quality of recovery, cost saving and opioid-sparing in the context of similar or lower side effects. The results of this preliminary feasibility study will be used to design a large-scale phase III, multicentre trial with the objective of obtaining outcomes that will accurately inform clinical practice.

Bedwetting is a major issue for children in Australia. Currently the most widely used system for managing this issue is the bell-pad alarm system. This alarm is expensive and children often have to wait for long periods before they can get access. However, there is an alternative device that is cheaper and therefore more readily accessible for children and families. This project will consider how well this alternative device compares to the bell-pad for treating bedwetting in children. Enuresis is the most common chronic condition in children between 6-7 years of age, with approximately 1 in 5 children in Australia experiencing bed-wetting. Currently the most widely used system for managing enuresis in childhood is the traditional bell-pad alarm system. However, this system represents a significant expense that impacts upon the capacity of a health service to make these devices readily available to children and families, resulting in prolonged waiting periods for the afflicted (upwards of 6 months). It is widely appreciated by paediatric health professionals, that optimal clinical outcomes in overcoming nocturnal enuresis are achieved if therapy is commenced as soon as a child is psychologically ready to begin. This poses therefore an unfortunate conundrum for the stakeholders in paediatric healthcare and one that warrants research efforts. At a comparative cost ratio of 1:17, per/unit the body-worn alarm system offers a potential alternative. Therefore, this pilot-project will compare agreement between an alternative body-worn alarm system and the bell-pad system. The findings may have important implications for the practice of treating children with enuresis in Western Victoria and beyond. If good levels of agreement can be achieved, the body-worn alarm system would warrant further examination as a first line option for treatment that aligns with a child-focused ‘window of opportunity’ for optimal treatment.

This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of shoulder pain in people with MND and assess the efficacy of suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) for its management.

This project is a pilot study in female adults to investigate new novel biomarkers of food addiction. Current food addiction research in humans largely relies on the use of self reported surveys which are prone to a reporting bias. Oxytocin is a peptide released from the hypothalamus (a region of the brain) that has been shown to be implicated in other more common forms of addiction such as drug and alcohol addiction. More recently this peptide has been investigated as a treatment option for drug and alcohol addiction and shown promising results. This project will recruit females >18yrs to determine if oxytocin is associated with food addiction and if concentrations of oxytocin can be changed in response to visual food stimuli. Study Aims: 1) To measure appetite hormones, chiefly plasma oxytocin concentrations, in females with and without food addiction of varying weight statuses 2) To determine if plasma oxytocin is responsive to visual food cues and if different food categories (healthy vs. hyperpalatable) can elicit different responses in females with and without food addiction of varying weight statuses

The aim of the research project is to deliver and test an innovative digital smartphone intervention, Peer Tree, which is designed to reduce loneliness in young people and will be applied to students marked as at risk of dropping out. The intervention is administered daily for 6 weeks. Young people aged 18-25 years will be recruited. In accordance with a randomised control trial study design, after participants complete the baseline assessment, they will be randomised to either the treatment as usual or intervention group. Those in the waitlist group will complete treatment as usual but will be provided with the same content once they have completed the research project. This will be provided in the form of +Connect, the predecessor of Peer Tree that doesn’t not contain the forums. Our research is expected to contribute to the development of personalised, modular mental health interventions that are cost-effective and efficient. There are currently no personalised, modular interventions available to address loneliness in tertiary education students.

The Ironbark Study is evaluating the effectiveness of a fall prevention program for older Aboriginal people (45 years and older), compared to a weekly elders group. Both arms of the trial involve an ongoing program delivered weekly by a local person, in a community setting. The Ironbark – Standing Strong program is a weekly exercise and discussion program aimed at preventing falls, and the Ironbark – Healthy Community program is a weekly program that involves discussions and social activities. The study design is a controlled pre-post trial and the participating services across NSW, SA and WA are able to select their preferred program. Services are required to recruit 10 - 15 eligible Aboriginal people, have strong connections with their local Aboriginal community, and have culturally appropriate venue and staff to deliver the program. Services will be supported through training and resources to implement either program. At the end of the trial, the control groups will have the opportunity to deliver the intervention program for a 6 month period, including all resources and equipment needed. It is anticipated that this trial will inform national policy and program delivery around falls prevention and healthy ageing among older Aboriginal people.