Adouble-blind Placebo Contorolled Study Of Subcutaneous Ketamine In The Management Of Cancer Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$50,000.00
Summary
Palliative care teams are studying an anaesthetic, ketamine, used at low doses for cancer pain which is not responsive to opioid drugs. Clinical experience suggests ketamine may help in neuropathic pain, which is due to nerve damage and is common in cancer. The study involves five days of treatment at three doses of ketamine, to see how well pain is controlled on each dose. The highest dose given will be that which gives good pain control. The study compares ketamine with a placebo, and patients ....Palliative care teams are studying an anaesthetic, ketamine, used at low doses for cancer pain which is not responsive to opioid drugs. Clinical experience suggests ketamine may help in neuropathic pain, which is due to nerve damage and is common in cancer. The study involves five days of treatment at three doses of ketamine, to see how well pain is controlled on each dose. The highest dose given will be that which gives good pain control. The study compares ketamine with a placebo, and patients keep on their usual pain medicines. Participants are randomised to have ketamine or the placebo. The study looks at pain control, quality of life, ketamine side effects, and change in need for usual pain medicines. This is the first national clinical study of a new palliative care research network, the Palliative Care Clinical Trials Collaborative (PaCCSC). It is hoped that if ketamine is proven safe and effective in difficult cancer pain, it will be more easily available for cancer patients.Read moreRead less
The Analgesic Evaluation Of Novel Natural Products From The Australian Plant Barringtonia Acutangula
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$174,500.00
Summary
This project aims to evaluate the analgesic activity of several novel natural products that have been isolated from the Australian plant Barringtonia acutangula. An Australian Aboriginal tribe have been known to use B. acutangula aqueous bark extracts for its analgesic properties. Griffith University researchers have confirmed this biological activity in the crude aqueous bark extract. A large scale extraction and isolation process will obtain the novel compounds in sufficient quantities that wi ....This project aims to evaluate the analgesic activity of several novel natural products that have been isolated from the Australian plant Barringtonia acutangula. An Australian Aboriginal tribe have been known to use B. acutangula aqueous bark extracts for its analgesic properties. Griffith University researchers have confirmed this biological activity in the crude aqueous bark extract. A large scale extraction and isolation process will obtain the novel compounds in sufficient quantities that will allow for their pharmacological evaluation as potential analgesic drugs.Read moreRead less
Nurses' Pain Management Decisions In The Post Surgery Context: A Naturalistic Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$56,368.00
Summary
In the hospital environment, doctors often prescribe medications for pain using an as required format on the drug order chart. Very often, this form of prescription occurs in the surgical wards of a hospital, where a patient may need a lot of pain relieving medication in the early period following the operation, and very little medication a few days following the operation. In the as required form of prescribing, the nurse caring for the patient has enormous flexibility in determining when and h ....In the hospital environment, doctors often prescribe medications for pain using an as required format on the drug order chart. Very often, this form of prescription occurs in the surgical wards of a hospital, where a patient may need a lot of pain relieving medication in the early period following the operation, and very little medication a few days following the operation. In the as required form of prescribing, the nurse caring for the patient has enormous flexibility in determining when and how much medication should be administered. Previous work has consistently shown that nurses do not administer adequate medication, which often results in poor pain control. Several nurse-related reasons have been proposed for poor pain management, including the fear of addiction, the fear of producing difficulties in breathing, and inadequate education about the medications administered. The focus of previous work has relied on examining small areas in isolation. Primarily, researchers have examined information on the drug order charts following patient discharge from hospital. They have also relied on analysing nurses' views on pain management relating to hypothetical patient situations. Overall, the research fails to address the multiple and interconnected factors faced by the nurse which could impact on pain management. Sources of these factors may be the patient, nurse, medication or environment. Examples of these factors include the presence or absence of the doctor, nurses' communication with doctors and other nurses about patient care, layout of the hospital ward, ward management structure, and methods used by the nurse to assess patient pain. By identifying the complex factors that impinge on decisions for managing pain, this study will provide opportunities to address the barriers that prevent adequate pain management. Nurses will then be in a position to change their practice in order to improve the management of patients' pain.Read moreRead less
Refining And Testing A Promising New Treatment For Chronic Pain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,947.00
Summary
Chronic pain costs Australia about 35 billion dollars a year. Recent scientific discoveries show that treatment aimed at correcting problems in how the brain processes sensory input can reduce pain and disability. This project will clarify some key aspects of these problems and use that information to make final adjustments to an already very promising treatment. We will then test the treatment in a definitive and comprehensive clinical trial.
An Abnormal Inflammatory Response Following Wrist Fracture Causes The Development Of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$99,073.00
Summary
This project will contribute essential knowledge about what causes some people to develop Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). CRPS affects approximately 5% of people following a fracture but can also occur with minimal injury. Sufferers experience gradually worsening levels of pain, skin discolouration, poor quality of life, and often severe depression. We will investigate the most likely cause of CRPS, which is thought to be an abnormal inflammatory reaction following injury.
I am a clinical scientist translating basic science findings into clinical science questions and answers that impart better understanding and management of pain and painful disease.
Chronic pain afflicts 1 in 5 Australians; it is one of our most expensive health care problems. Prof Moseley's research asks: (1) Why do some people get chronic pain but others don't? (ii) How can we treat chronic pain so sufferers can return to a meaningful, productive and comfortable life? (iii) How can we stop chronic pain from developing in the first place? His research involves behavioural and physiological experiments in humans, that lead to new treatments, which are tested in clinical tri ....Chronic pain afflicts 1 in 5 Australians; it is one of our most expensive health care problems. Prof Moseley's research asks: (1) Why do some people get chronic pain but others don't? (ii) How can we treat chronic pain so sufferers can return to a meaningful, productive and comfortable life? (iii) How can we stop chronic pain from developing in the first place? His research involves behavioural and physiological experiments in humans, that lead to new treatments, which are tested in clinical trials.Read moreRead less