Adaptive Immunity To Non-typeable H. Influenzae In Children With Bronchiectasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$81,143.00
Summary
Bronchiectasis is a chronic disease of the lungs which affects at least 1 in 68 NT Indigenous children. It causes recurring lung infections, hospitalisations and deteriorating lung function. This study will provide important data on the immune response of Indigenous children to NTHi, the most important pathogen associated with chronic respiratory infections and why this immune response is not protective. This is the first step in targeting therapies to the prevention of bronchiectasis.
A Multi-centre, Double-blind, Randomised Controlled Trial To Evaluate The Efficacy Of 10 Valent-pneumococcal-Protein D Conjugate Vaccine In Reducing Respiratory Exacerbations In Children Aged ? 18 Months With Suppurative Lung Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,160,660.00
Summary
Chronic suppurative (ie infected) lung diseases in children are major causes of poor health and deaths worldwide. Repeated childhood infections contribute to poor lung health in adults. The most common organism causing infection is non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). This study aims to determine whether a vaccine against NTHi can reduce repeated respiratory infections in children. If so, vaccination may lead to substantial improvements in current/ future lung health, and considerable dir ....Chronic suppurative (ie infected) lung diseases in children are major causes of poor health and deaths worldwide. Repeated childhood infections contribute to poor lung health in adults. The most common organism causing infection is non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). This study aims to determine whether a vaccine against NTHi can reduce repeated respiratory infections in children. If so, vaccination may lead to substantial improvements in current/ future lung health, and considerable direct and indirect cost of disease savings.Read moreRead less
Culture-independent Assessment Of The Microbiota Underlying Chronic Suppurative Lung Disease In Indigenous Children.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$310,071.00
Summary
Chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD) affects 1 in 68 Indigenous children in the Northern Territory. The condition leads to loss of lung function which reduces life-expectancy. Little is known about microbial factors underlying the disease. My research uses DNA-based methods to describe lower airway microbiology of CSLD affecting Indigenous children, including investigation of bacteria, viruses and biofilm. Better understanding of the microbiology will potentially lead to development of improv ....Chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD) affects 1 in 68 Indigenous children in the Northern Territory. The condition leads to loss of lung function which reduces life-expectancy. Little is known about microbial factors underlying the disease. My research uses DNA-based methods to describe lower airway microbiology of CSLD affecting Indigenous children, including investigation of bacteria, viruses and biofilm. Better understanding of the microbiology will potentially lead to development of improved treatments.Read moreRead less
Molecular Public Health In Australian Indigenous Communities And Developing Countries In Our Region To Improve Ear And Respiratory Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,388.00
Summary
Prevention of pneumonia and ear disease is of global importance. This study aims to improve outcomes for children living in remote Indigenous communities and Developing countries in our Region. Vaccines and antibiotics are powerful health tools, but often fail in high-risk populations for these diseases. Technological advances allow us to better examine the causes of pneumonia and ear disease and measure effects of vaccines and antibiotics. This will allow us to design improved interventions.
Advancing The Knowledge, Understanding And Management Of Respiratory Exacerbations In Children With Bronchiectasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$71,359.00
Summary
Bronchiectasis is a condition which causes significant morbidity, burden of disease and mortality in children as well as adults. Exacerbations in bronchiectasis influence the decline in lung function and quality of life for patients. Although the importance of treating exacerbations effectively is well accepted, there are no universally accepted guidelines for recognizing and managing an exacerbation of bronchiectasis in children. This study aims to fill this clinical and research gap.
Is Long Term Weekly Azithromycin Use For Bronchiectasis In Indigenous Children Associated With Antibiotic Resistance?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$398,663.00
Summary
Aboriginal children living in remote areas such as central Australia experience unacceptably high rates of respiratory infection which can become chronic. A randomised controlled trial is being conducted to see if long-term azithromycin therapy reduces respiratory exacerbations in Aboriginal children with chronic lung disease. Concerns about the development of antibiotic resistance need to be addressed. This project aims to determine if such treatment is associated with antibiotic resistance.
Mechanical Mobility Of The Thorax For Continuous Determination Of Lung Gas Volume
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$165,000.00
Summary
Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue ....Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue and allows it to resonate; where the sub-tissue is largely fluid, tissue mobility is low and the percussive sound is dull. Percussion is useful for examining the adult chest and lung, but cannot for example be applied in infant intensive care as only limited impulsive force can be used, and the adult finger, which is both a coupling device and sounding board, is too large. As well, percussion requires skill and quiet conditions. Accordingly, we developed a device to measure mobility of the chest and other tissues in real time. The VibroPulse applies a known low-level force to the body surface and records the resultant velocity induced in the surface. The force is generated by a vibrating mass set in motion by an electromagnetic motor driven by pseudo-random noise. Tissue mobility, defined as velocity-force, is derived simultaneously across the frequency range, providing an easily interpreted quantitative output unaffected by ambient noise. This proposal has two aims we can achieve in 1 year: (1) to continue evaluating VibroPulse sensitivity to tissue composition, using symmetrical percussive sites on the human chest and abdomen that are dull on one side and resonant on the other, and the chest of anaesthetised animals with experimentally induced pneumothorax and lung collapse, two life-threatening conditions for which percussion is a key diagnostic method, and (2) to engineer a small device from our bulky prototype that is suitable for clinical use, in infants and adults.Read moreRead less