Reducing Deaths From Pesticide Poisoning - Establishing A Regional Toxicology Research Centre.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$739,727.00
Summary
The World Health Organization estimates suggest nearly half a million people die from acute pesticide poisoning in the Asia-Pacific region each year. The Sri Lankan project will be the first attempt to systematically test whether a range of strategies can reduce long-term neurological damage and deaths from pesticides. The Australian-Sri Lankan Collaboration will, over the next five years, aim to improve assessment of sub-acute and long-term morbidity; promote 'evidence-based' treatment; develop ....The World Health Organization estimates suggest nearly half a million people die from acute pesticide poisoning in the Asia-Pacific region each year. The Sri Lankan project will be the first attempt to systematically test whether a range of strategies can reduce long-term neurological damage and deaths from pesticides. The Australian-Sri Lankan Collaboration will, over the next five years, aim to improve assessment of sub-acute and long-term morbidity; promote 'evidence-based' treatment; develop new antidotes (and assess their cost effectiveness), and see if pesticide regulation can reduce the rate of severe or fatal poisoning. If successful, this program may become a model for the region as to how to substantially reduce this largely hidden tragedy.Read moreRead less
Randomised Controlled Trials Of Laparoscopic Techniques For Antireflux Surgery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$275,923.00
Summary
Gastro-oesophageal reflux is common, and over the last decade there has been an exponential rise in the usage of acid suppressing medication. Current trends suggest that the national cost of medical treatment of reflux will become unaffordable unless new management or preventative strategies can be developed. Presently, surgery is the only treatment which can cure reflux. Laparoscopic fundoplication has recently become an acceptable, low morbidity keyhole surgical treatment for this problem. How ....Gastro-oesophageal reflux is common, and over the last decade there has been an exponential rise in the usage of acid suppressing medication. Current trends suggest that the national cost of medical treatment of reflux will become unaffordable unless new management or preventative strategies can be developed. Presently, surgery is the only treatment which can cure reflux. Laparoscopic fundoplication has recently become an acceptable, low morbidity keyhole surgical treatment for this problem. However, research is essential to develop a procedure which optimizes the outcome for patients undergoing surgical management of reflux, and minimizes the risk of complications. This may provide a better alternative to long term management with acid suppressing medication, and could eventually achieve long term savings to the nation's health budget. Since 1994 research conducted at the Royal Adelaide Hospital has evaluated a range of different key hole operations aimed at improving the outcome for patients undergoing surgery for gastro-oesophageal reflux. Over 100 patients have been entered into each of the following clinical trials: total fundoplication with or without division of the short gastric vessels, total versus anterior partial fundoplication and posterior or anterior hiatal repair. Further trials will compare a lesser degree of anterior partial fundoplication with total fundoplication. A common research protocol has been developed and applied to all of these trials. This involves the use of double blind randomised methodology, with independent follow-up obtained by an independent investigator. These trials will determine the best surgical technique for the surgical correction of reflux, and this should lead to a more widely accepted surgical alternative to existing non-operative strategies for pathological reflux.Read moreRead less
Interdisciplinary Maternal Perinatal Action On Clinical Trials Collaboration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,140,000.00
Summary
The aims of the Interdisciplinary Maternal Perinatal Action on Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboration is to promote and support high quality clinical trials addressing important research questions to improve the health and well being of women and their children. These aims will be achieved by implementing the three objectives of the Collaboration: • Provision of high level support to researchers at a national and regional level; • Provision of ongoing education and training; and • Identification ....The aims of the Interdisciplinary Maternal Perinatal Action on Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboration is to promote and support high quality clinical trials addressing important research questions to improve the health and well being of women and their children. These aims will be achieved by implementing the three objectives of the Collaboration: • Provision of high level support to researchers at a national and regional level; • Provision of ongoing education and training; and • Identification of national priority research areas and encouraging methodological trials.Read moreRead less
Improving Community Approaches For Common Childhood Conditions.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$478,602.00
Summary
Melissa’s end goal is community-based strategies that effectively prevent or manage common childhood conditions, which she addresses via four distinct yet unified programs of research (language-literacy, hearing loss, obesity, and early mental health-behaviour). All four programs are guided by long-term strategic plans that include advocacy and translation as central tenets. A further focus is research capacity-building in these areas via her substantial doctoral-postdoctoral programs.
Effects Of Laterally Wedged Insoles On Symptoms And Disease Progression In Knee Osteoarthritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$480,850.00
Summary
Knee arthritis is a painful, disabling, costly condition particularly affecting the elderly. As there is presently no cure for knee arthritis, strategies that slow progression of the disease will reduce the personal and societal burden of arthritis. Most research has focussed on drug therapies, which are effective in reducing pain and disability but have side effects and are expensive. Insoles worn inside the shoes are a simple, cheap, self-administered intervention with the potential to slow di ....Knee arthritis is a painful, disabling, costly condition particularly affecting the elderly. As there is presently no cure for knee arthritis, strategies that slow progression of the disease will reduce the personal and societal burden of arthritis. Most research has focussed on drug therapies, which are effective in reducing pain and disability but have side effects and are expensive. Insoles worn inside the shoes are a simple, cheap, self-administered intervention with the potential to slow disease progression in certain patients, in addition to managing symptoms. However, to date there has been little quality research investigating the effectiveness of insoles in knee arthritis. This study aims to see whether 12 months of wearing insoles can lead to improvements in knee pain and function and slow disease progression in 200 people with knee arthritis. It will use state-of-the-art technology, magnetic resonance imaging, to measure changes in the amount of knee cartilage. This research is timely and the findings will be of major significance as there is increasing world-wide attention on slowing progression of knee arthritis. Insoles are one of the few non-drug therapies with the potential to influence both symptoms and disease progression. If the results show that insoles are beneficial, then this research will: 1. Better inform clinical guidelines to firmly recommend insoles to manage knee arthritis 2. Provide the basis for developing education strategies for health care practitioners and patients about the benefits of insoles 3. Provide the impetus to make insoles more readily available directly to patients 4. Ultimately lead to better patient outcomesRead moreRead less
A Randomised Trial Of The Effects Of Cholesterol Lowering Therapy Among Patients With Chronic Renal Impairment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$333,250.00
Summary
People with kidney disease are well known to be at high risk of developing major health problems earlier in life than people without kidney problems. In particular, people with kidney disease are more likely to suffer from heart attacks and strokes. For a number of other high-risk patient groups (such as people with heart disease), studies have clearly shown that cholesterol-lowering treatment can significantly reduce the risks of serious complications. However, until now, patients with kidney d ....People with kidney disease are well known to be at high risk of developing major health problems earlier in life than people without kidney problems. In particular, people with kidney disease are more likely to suffer from heart attacks and strokes. For a number of other high-risk patient groups (such as people with heart disease), studies have clearly shown that cholesterol-lowering treatment can significantly reduce the risks of serious complications. However, until now, patients with kidney disease have generally been excluded from such studies because of concerns about drug side effects. New, better-tolerated cholesterol lowering drugs now offer an opportunity to see if this highly effective treatment is also protective among people with kidney disease. The HARP (Heart And Renal Protection) trial is a large new study that will be done as a collaboration between Australian researchers and researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK. The aim of the study is to see if low doses of two cholesterol-lowering drugs can reduce the risks of stroke and heart attack. The study will include about 9,000 people with chronic kidney disease followed for an average of 4 years. It is hoped that by using low doses of two treatments, rather than a high dose of one, it will be possible to get substantial benefits without side effects. There are presently many tens of thousands of individual in Australia with chronic kidney disease and many millions of such individuals worldwide. The results of the HARP study will therefore influence the care of a very large number of people. If the results were positive, implementation of this new treatment would be expected to prevent many tens of thousands of premature strokes and heart attacks around the world each year.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Controlled Trial Of Alternative Treatments To Intramuscular Penicillin For Impetigo In Aboriginal Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,326,182.00
Summary
We will conduct clinical trials to find an effective, simple and cheap oral alternative to injected penicillin for skin sores which could become the universal standard of care whether the patient is in Melbourne or Milingimbi. It would also likely be adopted by the World Health Organization as a standard of care for developing countries. This would lead directly to a reduced burden of skin sores and their complications. It would also open the way for studies to explore even simpler regimens.