Closing The Gap: Implementing Effective Treatments To Improve Post-operative Nausea And Vomiting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$175,303.00
Summary
Nausea and vomiting are common after surgery, concern 80% people undergoing surgery, and are managed by drugs with unwanted side effects. High quality evidence supports acupuncture being a safe and effective non-drug therapy for this complaint. This study will examine if and how acupuncture can be delivered by doctors and nurses around operation time. In future, people may have the choice of using acupuncture or drugs, or both, for preventing or treating nausea and vomiting after surgery.
Treatment Of Cerebral Palsy - An Experimental Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,544.00
Summary
Cerebral palsy is characterised by disordered movement evident early in life leading to lifelong disability. The motor disorder arises from an abnormality within the white-matter of the brain that is non-progressive and is identifiable soon after birth. In humans and experimental models of fetal infection there is an increase in markers of inflammation. We will use induce ovine fetal infection and white matter injury to examine if anti-inflammatory treatments can prevent fetal brain damage.
Fetal Intrapartum Pulse Oximetry: A Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$246,001.00
Summary
Current methods of monitoring the well-being of the unborn baby during labour often result in concern about the unborn baby's health. This leads to delivery by caesarean section, forceps, or vacuum. These babies are usually found to be healthy once born, meaning that the operation was unnecessary. In this study, when an unborn baby appears to be distressed, half of the study participants will be allocated to continue with the current monitoring of the baby's heartbeat. The other half will have a ....Current methods of monitoring the well-being of the unborn baby during labour often result in concern about the unborn baby's health. This leads to delivery by caesarean section, forceps, or vacuum. These babies are usually found to be healthy once born, meaning that the operation was unnecessary. In this study, when an unborn baby appears to be distressed, half of the study participants will be allocated to continue with the current monitoring of the baby's heartbeat. The other half will have a new form of monitoring in labour, fetal oxygen saturation monitoring, added. We will then determine whether the new form of monitoring makes a difference in the number of times women need to have a caesarean section, forceps, or vacuum delivery. It is important to do this research BEFORE the new form of monitoring becomes used routinely. This Australian research is leading the world in letting the health consumer (women) know whether the now monitoring method is effective in practice and ensuring that there are no unforeseen adverse events.Read moreRead less
Fetal Responses To Intra-uterine Inflammation And The Postnatal Pulmonary Consequences
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$347,036.00
Summary
There is increasing evidence that exposure of the unborn baby to infection and inflammation may be the cause of several important and disabling illnesses in later life, including long-term lung injury and brain damage. Hospital-based studies have shown that infants who go on to develop these diseases have signs of inflammation before, and soon after, birth. These studies in humans, however, have only shown associations between inflammation and later disease. Carefully controlled scientific exper ....There is increasing evidence that exposure of the unborn baby to infection and inflammation may be the cause of several important and disabling illnesses in later life, including long-term lung injury and brain damage. Hospital-based studies have shown that infants who go on to develop these diseases have signs of inflammation before, and soon after, birth. These studies in humans, however, have only shown associations between inflammation and later disease. Carefully controlled scientific experiments are required to show that inflammation actually causes damage and to allow us to find ways to prevent or cure the diseases that result from such injury. In 1998, using sheep, our research group discovered a way to produce inflammation in the fetus without endangering its wellbeing or causing early labour. The inflammation is caused by injecting a sterile bacterial cell wall preparation (endotoxin) into the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus. Using this model, we have found that an episode of inflammation before birth profoundly increases lung maturity, thus increasing the chances of survival if premature birth occurs. Based on our information from humans, we expect that if these lambs are allowed to survive past the first few days after birth, they will go on to develop chronic lung disease, and perhaps brain damage. This study will answer vital questions about the events that occur in the uterus and the fetus during periods of inflammation, and will then determine the long-term consequences in the weeks following birth. We expect that these lambs will have changes which at first will increase their chances of survival after birth, to be followed by chronic disability due to lung and brain damage. If confirmed, this finding will allow us to find treatments which can be applied before birth to ensure that children are less likely to be born with these disabling illnesses.Read moreRead less