First Aid For Burns: The Use Of Ice Water And Ice?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$209,668.00
Summary
Millions of people worldwide receive burn injuries every year and last year the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane alone treated more than 500 children with new burn injuries. Many of these children with burn injuries will heal burn wounds with unsightly scars and impaired skin function. Cooling burns as first aid has been used since ancient time and is proved to be the most effective way to reduce skin temperature, lessen pain, minimize the depth of injury, and ultimately improve wound heali ....Millions of people worldwide receive burn injuries every year and last year the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane alone treated more than 500 children with new burn injuries. Many of these children with burn injuries will heal burn wounds with unsightly scars and impaired skin function. Cooling burns as first aid has been used since ancient time and is proved to be the most effective way to reduce skin temperature, lessen pain, minimize the depth of injury, and ultimately improve wound healing outcome. However, despite the evidence that cooling burns using ice water <4 C may be beneficial to burns, current first aid recommend to only use cold water 8-25 C and the use of ice-ice water is strongly discouraged for fear of the potential to cause hypothermia and deepen the existing burn injury. In this application we will examine the effect of ice-ice water 2 C on wound healing outcome compared to 15 C water as first aid, in an in vivo model. The wound healing will be clinically assessed by experienced clinicians weekly for six weeks, and then will also be assessed histologically and mechanically at week six. We will also determine the optimal cooling temperature and duration for injured tissue in burn wounds to recover and the conduction of cold through skin. With the coming new knowledge we wish to design an optimal cooling burn treatment which will maximize the beneficial of cooling to the burns but avoid adverse effect of excessive cooling. The success of this project will advance our knowledge on first aid treatment or burn cooling treatment and also wound healing process. It will enable us to offer better first aid treatment which may lead to wound healing with less scars, otherwise can not achieved by other current available treatments. The better healing of burn wounds will significantly improve burn patients' lives, particularly children with burn injuries. It will also release the burden on much needed health funds.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Mesenchymal To Epithelial Transitions By Netrin Receptors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$646,995.00
Summary
The formation of 2D cellular sheets is important during development, tissue repair, and tumor growth. The mechanisms involved, however, remain largely unknown. Recent findings in the fly and in human cells suggest Frazzled/Neogenin receptors drive this process, by establishing polarised scaffolds in the cell. We will test this hypothesis using fly genetics and analysis of 3-dimensional culture of mammalian cells. Our results will help guide future therapies for human disease.
Pre-clinical Assessment Of Novel Growth Factor Complexes As A Topical Agent In The Treatment Of Deep
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$156,870.00
Summary
Healing of deep burns, unlike that of superficial injuries, often resolves with scarring. Scarring is reduced with rapid closure of burns. The CIs have discovered and patented novel growth factor complexes that stimulate the growth and migration of keratinocytes, cells derived from skin. Hence these complexes hold therapeutic potential for wounds that require rapid closure such as deep burns. This application will provide pre-clinical, proof-of-principle data to facilitate future patient trials.
A Prospective Study Of Health, Social And Forensic Outcomes In Young Offenders.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$189,000.00
Summary
In our environment of increasing illicit drug abuse and violent crime, there is an urgent need to gain an understanding of the forensic, health and social factors leading to offending by young people in Australia. Little research has been conducted worldwide looking at the health profile of young people offending across the entire spectrum of seriousness, and we could not find any studies examining this population in Australia. Most reports concern offenders who have received custodial sentences ....In our environment of increasing illicit drug abuse and violent crime, there is an urgent need to gain an understanding of the forensic, health and social factors leading to offending by young people in Australia. Little research has been conducted worldwide looking at the health profile of young people offending across the entire spectrum of seriousness, and we could not find any studies examining this population in Australia. Most reports concern offenders who have received custodial sentences, the most serious end of the offending spectrum. Furthermore, overseas studies are of limited usefulness in the Australian context, as it is difficult to apply observations from communities where the social, ethnic and crime profile may be markedly dissimilar. We propose to interview 450 young people immediately after they obtain their first sentence, usually a community-based order. The problems we will ask about include depression and anxiety, heavy alcohol consumption, heavy use of cannabis and other illegal drugs, deliberate self harm, sexual risk taking behaviour and offending behaviour. We will also ask about the social circumstances, friends and family structure and support. We will then repeat this interview six months later. In addition, we will monitor the participants' compliance with their order, treatment programs they may be on and re-offending until the end of data collection. The study will give us the basis to examine continuity and inter-relationship between problems such as depression and substance abuse, social factors and continued offending. Further, the study will establish a framework to follow-up these young offenders in the medium and long-term. The development of this sound and thorough research program will provide a rational basis for the planning of preventative interventions, aimed at improving the health and welfare and at reducing recidivism in this marginalised and often disadvantaged group of young people.Read moreRead less
Commercialisation Of A Glycoprofiling Diagnostic Kit And Novel Therapies For Biofilm Related Respiratory Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$203,050.00
Summary
Our preliminary studies have shown that a group of patients who suffer from chronic inflammatory disease and have bacterial biofilm identified on their mucosa have worse outcomes even after surgery. We have shown that they lack certain small protein and sugar molecules on their respiratory lining. We aim to use this technology as a diagnostic tool to aid the doctor in prescribing the appropriate treatment for these patients to prevent bacteria regrowing in their respiratory tract.