ANZCTR search results

The purpose of this study is to determine if Kinesiotape is an effective treatment option for hand lymphoedema secondary to cancer. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are an adult female or male who has unilateral secondary hand lymphoedema. Study details All participants will be asked to come in on two separate occasions two days apart. On the first visit participants will complete assessments involving medical history, physical measurements of the hand, hand assessment using Ultrasound and questionnaires. Next, Kinesiotape will be applied to the hand with lymphoedema. Participants will be asked to return two days later to have the tape removed and complete the same assessments again as completed in the first visit. These assessments will be physical measurements of the hand, hand assessment using Ultrasound, Bioimpedance spectroscopy and questionnaires. It is hoped that this research will provide an additional support to hand lymphoedema treatment to help with signs and symptoms of lymphoedema after cancer.

A priority area in the field of substance abuse treatment is reducing the rates of relapse. Studies in the United States have demonstrated that telephone delivered continuing care interventions are both clinically effective and cost effective when delivered as a component of outpatient treatment. The proposed trial will examine a well-established telephone delivered continuing care intervention for people exiting residential substance abuse treatment. The study will be conducted as a randomised controlled trial, where participants will be randomised to one of three arms: (i) continuing care plan only (, (ii) 4-session continuing care telephone delivered intervention, or (iii) 12-session continuing care telephone delivered intervention. Participants will be attending therapeutic communities provided by either The Salvation Army (Central Coast, Sydney) or We Help Ourselves (Sydney). Outcomes will be compared across the three arms. It is hypothesised that: (i) participants in the continuing care treatment arms will demonstrate significantly higher rates of percentage of days abstinent from alcohol and other drugs (excluding tobacco) at follow-up compared to the control (continuing care plan only) arm and (ii) that participants in the 12-session continuing care arm will demonstrate higher rates of percentage of days abstinent at follow-up compared to the 4-session arm. It is anticipated that the current study will demonstrate that a continuing care intervention is a relatively low cost clinical intervention that can help to support people following residential care. The study will also provide evidence on the number of telephone sessions required to improve abstinence and other outcomes as part of continuing care interventions.

Migraine is an episodic primary headache disorder, affecting 10% of adults with varying degree of disability that can interfere with daily living. The prevalence of migraine is 2 to 3 times greater in women than in men, particularly during reproductive years; peaking between 30 and 39 years of age and a second peak around 50 years old (onset of menopause). It is estimated that migraine attacks related to menstruation occur in 35-51% of women and are associated with the fall of estrogen levels (~2 days before menses) and may continue for a few more days until estrogen levels rise again. There is growing appreciation of the link between migraine and heightened risk of vascular diseases, particularly for stroke. In fact, studies have shown that women with migraine, especially with aura, are at twice the risk for ischemic stroke. We want to characterise any circulatory abnormalities in the brain in women who suffer from menstrual migraine. In this study, we will measure the flow of blood in the brain in premenopausal women and compare those who suffer from menstrual migraine with those who are not susceptible. We will also explore the role of blood pressure, differences in gene expression, stiffness of blood vessels, and the effects of menstrual migraine on quality of life and mental performance. We aim to see whether abnormalities of blood flow in the brain may predispose women to menstrual migraine and to see whether these abnormalities are associated with differences in gene expression between those who suffer from menstrual migraine and those who are not susceptible. This information will help us to design more effective interventions to counteract migraine.

Appendicitis has usually been treated with an operation (i.e. appendicectomy) for the last 125 years however recent studies have suggested antibiotics may be an effective treatment strategy in a subset of patients. While many recent studies have examined this, only one large rigorous clinical trial has been performed (the 2015 APPAC trial), itself with multiple caveats which limit generalizability to the Australian population. Another large trial, the CODA trial in the United States, also is underway however it too will be difficult to generalise this trial to the Australian setting. We aim to conduct a pilot trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a treatment protocol designed to compare antibiotics with laparoscopic appendicectomy for the treatment of mild acute uncomplicated appendicitis. The ultimate goal of this trial would be to perform a large, multi-centre trial in the future.

Hereditary Angiodema (HAE) is a rare disease caused by low levels of C1 serine protease inhibitor in the body. Deficiencies in this protein leads to increased activation of inflammatory pathways which can cause swelling, severe abdominal pain and airway obstruction that can be life threatening. ATN-249 is a potential once a day oral treatment for HAE. The purpose of this research study is to test the safety and tolerability of ATN-249 as well as the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the study drug. The study is open to healthy male volunteers and the research goals are: - Does the drug have any side-effects and is it well tolerated when given as a multiple dose over several days? - How much of the drug gets into the blood stream, and how long does the body take to get rid of it? This study will look at how the human body uses ATN-249 at different dose levels and under different dosing regimens (once a day or twice a day).

The aim of this research is to obtain high quality data on the impact of the early application of film forming silicones on burn injuries and donor sites. Objectives include time to healing, patients perceived pain and scar outcomes.

Despite awareness of the advantages of breastfeeding, the rates often fall short of expected practice. In the Whittlesea area alone, the initial rate of breastfeeding is very high at >94% of newborn infants. However, rates drop by 30% at 8 weeks (2 months) post-birth. At The Northern Hospital, there are 2 support systems in place. This is in line with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) breastfeeding practices. First, all expecting mothers are invited to attend breastfeeding seminars prior to the delivery of their newborns. Secondly, TNH also has a breastfeeding clinic that runs daily and mothers can refer themselves to this clinic when and if they feel the need. However, there is a perception that once the mothers leave hospital, there is lack of breastfeeding support, so we feel that we need to do more to help promote breastfeeding. Our hypothesis was that breastfeeding rates can be improved with additional support and education from a lactation consultant. The study aims to determine if additional support for breastfeeding mothers after they leave hospital improves rates of breastfeeding. In this randomized controlled trial, participants will be randomized to either an intervention or a control group. In the intervention group, a LACTATION CONSULTANT will provide active communication and assistance via telephone to breastfeeding mothers, especially during the first 4 weeks after discharge and then again after 3 months and 6 months. In the control group, a LACTATION CONSULTANT will contact breastfeeding mothers via telephone after 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months to ask about breastfeeding activity/practices. At the end of the study, we will compare the rates of breastfeeding in mothers who received the intervention compared to the control group and determine whether additional assistance from lactation consultants is associated with longer breastfeeding duration.

The aim of this research is to determine whether the inclusion of a physical health nurse will improve the physical health of young people with a first episode of psychosis. The rationale behind this study is that numerous studies have demonstrated that young people who develop a first episode of psychosis have poorer physical health compared to their peers who do not have psychotic disorders, specifically, they are more likely to be overweight or obese, to be inactive, to have a poor diet and to smoke. In addition, some of the medications that are prescribed for psychosis can lead to weight gain, therefore it is important that we address or prevent these physical health problems. We also know that young people with a first episode of psychosis are more likely to have poorer sexual health than their peers, in that they are more likely to engage in high risk sexual behaviours, such as not using contraception. Furthermore, there is evidence emerging that sleep is a very important component of physical and mental well being, so we would like to learn more about the characteristics of sleep in young people with a first episode of psychosis.

Front-of-pack labels (FoPLs) are used in many countries as a tool to increase consumers’ awareness of the nutritional quality of food products and encourage consumption of healthier food. Many different types of FoPLs exist and the design of each influences its effectiveness (e.g., how favourably it is perceived, how easy it is to understand, how likely it is to be incorporated into food decisions). The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of and people’s perceptions of 5 different FoPLs used around the world: Health Star Rating system, Multiple Traffic Light system, Nutri-Score, References Intakes label and Warning symbol. Attitudes, understanding and influence on food choice will be assessed for each of these labels via an online survey in 12 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

The purpose of this study is to assess whether cannabidoil (CBD) can be used to reduce total symptoms in patients with advanced cancer in palliative care. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are over 25 years of age and have been diagnosed with advanced cancer. Study details Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups; either CBD or a placebo medication. Participants will be asked to take increasing doses of the study medication for 14 days, with the dose increasing until participants are satisfied with the symptom improvement and are experiencing no unacceptable side effects. After these 14 days, participants will be asked to take a steady dose of the medication for another set of 14 days. During the 28 days of the study you will be required to have a routine blood and urine test taken to determine if you are eligible. A further blood test will be taken at day 14 post trial analysis. It is hoped that this research will show a positive effect of CBD on symptoms for patients suffering with advanced cancer and thus provide an option in helping manage symptoms.