Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy In Interstitial Lung Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$124,608.00
Summary
Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are chronic lung diseases with significant health impacts, but limited drug treatment options. Although home oxygen treatment (HOT) is commonly used in these patients, its clinical benefits are uncertain with potential risks and significant costs for both patients and the health care system. Very little published information is available on the use of HOT in these patients. These studies aim to improve our knowledge and management of HOT in patients with ILD.
Novel Approaches To Assessing Cerebral Circulation And Oxygenation In Preterm Human Infants.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$489,145.00
Summary
In the first few days after birth, some premature babies develop low blood pressure. It is thought that this meant that the amount of blood and oxygen going to the brain would also fall. If blood pressure became very low, this could injure the brain. Drugs are used to prevent low blood pressure, but their effect on blood flow and oxygen in the brain is uncertain. This study aims to develop simple cotside monitoring procedures that allow neonatologists to monitor oxygen supply and blood flow in t ....In the first few days after birth, some premature babies develop low blood pressure. It is thought that this meant that the amount of blood and oxygen going to the brain would also fall. If blood pressure became very low, this could injure the brain. Drugs are used to prevent low blood pressure, but their effect on blood flow and oxygen in the brain is uncertain. This study aims to develop simple cotside monitoring procedures that allow neonatologists to monitor oxygen supply and blood flow in the brain in tiny babies who weigh less than 1000gm, and what happens within the brain when drugs are given to raise blood pressure. We will employ a new instrument that generates low intensity near infrared light which passes safely into the brain and is absorbed according to the amount of oxygen present in very small blood vessels. As the methodology is new, we intend to first validate the measurement in immature lambs. The instrument will then be applied in studies of babies undergoing intensive care and at risk for low pressure and brain injury, as many as 5000 babies each year in Australia.Read moreRead less
Randomised Double-blind Controlled Trial Of Oxygen Versus Air To Palliate Intractable End-of-life Dyspnoea When Pa02 >55
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,318.00
Summary
Shortness of breath at the end-of-life is one of the most feared symptoms. Unlike most other symptoms, it worsens as death approaches. Despite the fact that more than 50,000 Australian will die an expected death in the next year, of whom the majority will have breathlessness toward the end-of-life, we know little about how best to treat this symptom. Oxygen is frequently introduced but we have not identified whether it is more effective than medical air, and, if it is more effective, which patie ....Shortness of breath at the end-of-life is one of the most feared symptoms. Unlike most other symptoms, it worsens as death approaches. Despite the fact that more than 50,000 Australian will die an expected death in the next year, of whom the majority will have breathlessness toward the end-of-life, we know little about how best to treat this symptom. Oxygen is frequently introduced but we have not identified whether it is more effective than medical air, and, if it is more effective, which patients would most benefit from it. Because of this lack of evidence, oxygen is only funded in Australia in community settings for people who have severely low oxygen levels in their blood. Palliative oxygen is provided on a compassionate basis at times but this is on an ad hoc basis and does not ensure equitable access for people at the end of life who experience shortness of breath. This multi-centre study will compare oxygen and air, with neither the participant nor caring clinicians knowing which treatment they will receive. After careful explanation, volunteers who agree to participate will be asked to use the oxygen machine for at least 15 hours each day for 7 days and fill out a diary twice each day. Five centres across Australia are planning to enroll 240 participants in this study. Outcomes will include whether the sensation of breathlessness has improved, the overall quality of life while being treated, the ability to perform activities of daily living and any side effects experienced. This study is eagerly awaited by clinicians and health planners not only in Australia but in North America and Europe. This study will provide data in a long-standing international debate about the role of oxygen in people with relatively normal levels of oxygen in their blood who suffer from shortness of breath at the end-of-life.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Controlled Trial Of Non-invasive Ventilation In Stable, Hypercapnic Chronic Airflow Limitation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$331,622.00
Summary
Chronic airflow limitation is a major cause of illness and death in Australia. Long term oxygen therapy is well established as one means of assisting people with chronic lung disease. Survival is still poor particularly when an individual is hypercapnic. Non-invasive ventilation used at night with a mask has been used in chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure from other causes with very good results. This study looks at whether non-invasive mask ventilation improves survival, improves clinical ....Chronic airflow limitation is a major cause of illness and death in Australia. Long term oxygen therapy is well established as one means of assisting people with chronic lung disease. Survival is still poor particularly when an individual is hypercapnic. Non-invasive ventilation used at night with a mask has been used in chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure from other causes with very good results. This study looks at whether non-invasive mask ventilation improves survival, improves clinical outcome measures and reduces health costs in people with chronic airflow limitation. The ventilatory support will be used at night during sleep and will be a bilevel positive airway pressure device. Apart from measuring the cost-benefit of home ventilatory support, this study will examine the relationship between the time of commencement of home ventilatory support and outcomes. In addition the relationships between daytime awake PaCO2, lung function, and body mass in CAL patients and the likely response to home ventilatory support will be examined.Read moreRead less
Fetal Intrapartum Pulse Oximetry: A Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial (the FOREMOST Trial)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$146,950.00
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 unnecessry. In this study, when an unborn baby appears to be distressed, half of the study participants will be allocated to continue with the current monitororing of the baby's heartbeat. The other half will have ....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 unnecessry. In this study, when an unborn baby appears to be distressed, half of the study participants will be allocated to continue with the current monitororing of the baby's heartbeat. The other half will have a new form of monitoring in labour, fetal oxgyen saturation monitoring, added. We will then determine whether the new form of monitoring makes a differnce 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 new monitoring method is effective in practice and ensuring that there are no unforeseen adverse events.Read moreRead less