There are about 10460 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Australia. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
Interruption of a pregnancy after 14 weeks gestation may be required when the fetus is dead, severely malformed or in cases of maternal illness. This process is usually conducted medically in Australia, using the prostaglandin E1 analogue misoprostol. This prostaglandin, although not specifically licensed for use in pregnancy termination, is now a common abortifacient with a lot of accumulated experience both within Australia and internationally. Since 1996, misoprostol, a synthetic prostaglandin, has been used at King Edward Memorial Hospital as the principal agent for second trimester pregnancy termination. This agent is administered vaginally, and in its current form and dosage regimen results in 75-80% of women delivering within 24 hours. As experience with this agent has grown, it has been observed that in approximately 40% of women the placenta is either completely retained or incompletely delivered, necessitating operative removal and an increased potential for maternal blood loss. In this study, it is planned, in a randomized controlled clinical trial, to evaluate three regimens for the management of placental delivery in women undergoing second trimester pregnancy interruption. The primary intention of this study is to develop a third stage management protocol to reduce the incidence of placental retention in second trimester medical pregnancy termination. The secondary aim of this study is to assess the ultrasound appearance of the uterus and its cavity within 24 hours of second trimester pregnancy termination. The ultrasound appearances of the uterus following second trimester pregnancy loss have not been previously investigated in detail. Previous ultrasound studies of the term postpartum uterus have demonstrated a high incidence of echogenic material within the uterine cavity soon after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. These findings have been of concern as the ultrasound appearances may erroneously imply a need for operative intervention. The investigators wish to ascertain if this high incidence of echogenic tissue presence is also true in the second trimester. Ultrasound is frequently used by clinicians to define placental completeness and the potential requirement for surgical curettage. The data from this single sonographic examination of the uterus will provide baseline data for a planned longitudinal study of uterine appearances following second trimester pregnancy loss and their correlation with clinical symptoms.
The purpose of this clinical research study is to learn whether Abatacept can treat and prevent lupus flares; specifically, in patients with active lupus flares in at least one of three organ systems: skin (discoid lesions); inflammation of the lining of the heart (pericarditis), or inflammation of the lining of the lung (pleuritis/pleurisy); or inflammation of more than 4 joints (arthritis). All participants will receive prednisone or prednisone-equivalent treatment in combination with study medication. The safety of this treatment will also be studied.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether quetiapine is effective and safe in the acute treatment of bipolar depression and whether the effect is maintained when treatment is continued.
The study compares the psychosocial outcomes of different management strategies for women with minor atypia (including ‘HPV effect’) detected on Pap smears: conventional management (a repeat Pap smear at 6 months) versus Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing, a new method proposed for the management of minor atypia and the informed choice of either management supported by a decision aid. The study examines women’s informed preferences for each of these options and compares the psychosocial outcomes in women who are or are not given the choice of management. HPV DNA testing offers considerable changes to the management of women with minor atypia and there is evidence from the USA which suggests that the use of HPV DNA testing as a triage strategy is effective for women within this group (Solomon et al 2001). The introduction of HPV DNA testing may bring both benefits and harms to women. These harms and benefits are not well understood. Examination of the psychosocial outcomes of HPV DNA testing compared to conventional management and women’s preferences for each is needed to guide decisions concerning HPV DNA testing in cervical screening in Australia and also internationally.
Musculoskeletal conditions account for the third leading cause of health systems expenditure in Australia. Patellofemoral pain syndrome or pain about the knee cap is such a condition often treated in primary care. Both the individual and community are affected by this condition with an estimated 1 in 4 sufferers having problems and pain up to 20 years after first being afflicted. Importantly, it interferes with activities such as walking, jogging, gym classes and aerobics, which are often prescribed to prevent serious conditions of the heart, diabetes and obesity. Hence, it negatively impacts the health and well being of our nation. Two popular treatment options that are commonly prescribed for the management of patellofemoral pain syndrome are physiotherapy and foot orthotics. To date, there is some evidence supporting physiotherapy, especially current best practice methods, such as a combined program of therapeutic exercise, manual therapy and kneecap taping. There is a lack of evidence for the use of orthotics in treating patellofemoral pain syndrome. This project will conduct a randomised clinical trial to evaluate the relative benefits of orthotics as the sole treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome and also when combined with physiotherapy. Factors associated with predicting the results of orthotic therapy will be studied to see if there are any tests that a health care practitioner can perform to provide information early on in a consultation regarding possible treatment outcomes. A cost-benefit analysis will also be conducted to calculate the relative economic merits of the treatments. A tangible outcome of this project will be the development of clinical guidelines for the most effective method of treating patellofemoral pain syndrome in primary health care.
This study is designed to evaluate the safety and antiviral activity of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) compared to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) for 48 weeks for the treatment of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. Subjects will either receive TDF or the approved hepatitis B therapy ADV. After 48 weeks all subjects will be switched to open-label TDF.
This is an open-label, randomized trial in relapsed refractory subjects with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Aridol (mannitol) challenge test can predict response to treatment with inhaled corticosteroids in COPD subjects. Subjects will undergo an Aridol test and then 3 months of treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. The effect on lung function and quality of life will then be measured and correlated with the Aridol test result.
The purpose of this study is to determine what effect treatment for one year with testosterone and a nutritional supplement, alone and combined, has on the adverse effects of under-nutrition in community-dwelling older men and women.
This study is designed to evaluate the safety and antiviral activity of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF, tenofovir DF) compared to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) for the treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B. Participants will receive either TDF or the approved hepatitis B therapy ADV. After 48 weeks all participants will be switched to open-label TDF.