Comparison of three different dressings for partial thickness burns in children : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: In the paediatric population, pain and distress associated with burn injuries during wound care procedures remain a constant challenge. Although silver dressings are the gold standard for burn care in Australasia, very few high-level trials have been conducted that compare silver dressings to determine which will provide the best level of care clinically. Therefore, for paediatric patients in particular, identifying silver dressings that are associated with lower levels of pain and rapid wound re-epithelialisation is imperative. This study will determine whether there is a difference in time to re-epithelialisation and pain and distress experienced during wound care procedures among Acticoat, Acticoat combined with Mepitel and Mepilex Ag dressings for acute, paediatric partial thickness burns. METHODS/DESIGN: Children aged 0 to 15 years with an acute partial thickness (superficial partial to deep partial thickness inclusive) burn injury and a burn total body surface area of

Controlled Monte Carlo data generation for statistical damage identification employing Mahalanobis squared distance

The use of Mahalanobis squared distance–based novelty detection in statistical damage identification has become increasingly popular in recent years. The merit of the Mahalanobis squared distance–based method is that it is simple and requires low computational effort to enable the use of a higher dimensional damage-sensitive feature, which is generally more sensitive to structural changes. Mahalanobis squared distance–based damage identification is also believed to be one of the most suitable methods for modern sensing systems such as wireless sensors. Although possessing such advantages, this method is rather strict with the input requirement as it assumes the training data to be multivariate normal, which is not always available particularly at an early monitoring stage. As a consequence, it may result in an ill-conditioned training model with erroneous novelty detection and damage identification outcomes. To date, there appears to be no study on how to systematically cope with such practical issues especially in the context of a statistical damage identification problem. To address this need, this article proposes a controlled data generation scheme, which is based upon the Monte Carlo simulation methodology with the addition of several controlling and evaluation tools to assess the condition of output data. By evaluating the convergence of the data condition indices, the proposed scheme is able to determine the optimal setups for the data generation process and subsequently avoid unnecessarily excessive data. The efficacy of this scheme is demonstrated via applications to a benchmark structure data in the field.

Perioperative medication management: expanding the role of the preadmission clinic pharmacist in a single centre, randomised controlled trial of collaborative prescribing

Objectives Current evidence to support non-medical prescribing is predominantly qualitative, with little evaluation of accuracy, safety and appropriateness. Our aim was to evaluate a new model of service for the Australia healthcare system, of inpatient medication prescribing by a pharmacist in an elective surgery preadmission clinic (PAC) against usual care, using an endorsed performance framework. Design Single centre, randomised controlled, two-arm trial. Setting Elective surgery PAC in a Brisbane-based tertiary hospital. Participants 400 adults scheduled for elective surgery were randomised to intervention or control. Intervention A pharmacist generated the inpatient medication chart to reflect the patient's regular medication, made a plan for medication perioperatively and prescribed venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. In the control arm, the medication chart was generated by the Resident Medical Officers. Outcome measures Primary outcome was frequency of omissions and prescribing errors when compared against the medication history. The clinical significance of omissions was also analysed. Secondary outcome was appropriateness of VTE prophylaxis prescribing. Results There were significantly less unintended omissions of medications: 11 of 887 (1.2%) intervention orders compared with 383 of 1217 (31.5%) control (p<0.001). There were significantly less prescribing errors involving selection of drug, dose or frequency: 2 in 857 (0.2%) intervention orders compared with 51 in 807 (6.3%) control (p<0.001). Orders with at least one component of the prescription missing, incorrect or unclear occurred in 208 of 904 (23%) intervention orders and 445 of 1034 (43%) controls (p<0.001). VTE prophylaxis on admission to the ward was appropriate in 93% of intervention patients and 90% controls (p=0.29). Conclusions Medication charts in the intervention arm contained fewer clinically significant omissions, and prescribing errors, when compared with controls. There was no difference in appropriateness of VTE prophylaxis on admission between the two groups.

A randomized controlled trial of a correspondence-based intervention for carers of relatives with psychosis

Background Family members play a crucial role in supporting the recovery of loved ones with psychosis. The journey of recovery is not only traversed by the person experiencing the mental illness but also by their family. Interventions to support these families have traditionally either focused on psychoeducation or addressed problematic interactions or expressed emotion. Family programmes have far less frequently emphasized supporting family members' adjustment to the challenges posed by their relative's disorder or their recovery from associated distress. The study compared a control condition that received only a psychoeducational booklet (Information) and a condition also receiving a correspondence-based interactive recovery-oriented intervention (Connections). The Connections group was expected to show greater improvements in recovery knowledge, well-being, experiences of caregiving, hopefulness and distress. Method A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of two correspondence-based family interventions delivered to 81 carers of relatives with psychosis. Results Intent-to-treat analyses showed no differential outcomes between conditions, but an analysis of participants who substantially completed their allocated treatment showed that carers receiving Connections had significantly more improvements in well-being, positive experiences of caregiving and distress. Conclusions Correspondence interventions that support carer's recovery may result in more positive mental health for those who complete key elements of the programme compared with information alone. However, many carers do not complete a correspondence programme and this may limit its impact.

Randomized controlled trial of MICBT for co-existing alcohol misuse and depression : outcomes to 36-months

Integrated psychological treatment addressing co-existing alcohol misuse and depression has not been compared with single-focused treatment. This trial evaluates changes over 36 months following randomization of 284 outpatients to one of four motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavior therapy (MICBT) based interventions: (1) brief integrated intervention (BI); or BI plus 9 further sessions with (2) an integrated-, (3) alcohol-, or (4) depression-focus. Outcome measures included changes in alcohol consumption, depression (BDI-II: Beck Depression Inventory) and functioning (GAF: Global Assessment of Functioning), with average improvements from baseline of 21.8 drinks per week, 12.6 BDI-II units and 8.2 GAF units. Longer interventions tended to be more effective in reducing depression and improving functioning in the long-term, and in improving alcohol consumption in the short-term. Integrated treatment was at least as good as single-focused MICBT. Alcohol-focused treatment was as effective as depression-focused treatment at reducing depression and more effective in reducing alcohol misuse. The best approach seems to be an initial focus on both conditions followed by additional integrated- or alcohol-focused sessions.

Effect of ramipril on walking times and quality of life among patients with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication : a randomized controlled trial

Importance Approximately one-third of patients with peripheral artery disease experience intermittent claudication, with consequent loss of quality of life. Objective To determine the efficacy of ramipril for improving walking ability, patient-perceived walking performance, and quality of life in patients with claudication. Design, Setting, and Patients Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted among 212 patients with peripheral artery disease (mean age, 65.5 [SD, 6.2] years), initiated in May 2008 and completed in August 2011 and conducted at 3 hospitals in Australia. Intervention Patients were randomized to receive 10 mg/d of ramipril (n = 106) or matching placebo (n = 106) for 24 weeks. Main Outcome Measures Maximum and pain-free walking times were recorded during a standard treadmill test. The Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) and Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) were used to assess walking ability and quality of life, respectively. Results At 6 months, relative to placebo, ramipril was associated with a 75-second (95% CI, 60-89 seconds) increase in mean pain-free walking time (P < .001) and a 255-second (95% CI, 215-295 seconds) increase in maximum walking time (P < .001). Relative to placebo, ramipril improved the WIQ median distance score by 13.8 (Hodges-Lehmann 95% CI, 12.2-15.5), speed score by 13.3 (95% CI, 11.9-15.2), and stair climbing score by 25.2 (95% CI, 25.1-29.4) (P < .001 for all). The overall SF-36 median Physical Component Summary score improved by 8.2 (Hodges-Lehmann 95% CI, 3.6-11.4; P = .02) in the ramipril group relative to placebo. Ramipril did not affect the overall SF-36 median Mental Component Summary score. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with intermittent claudication, 24-week treatment with ramipril resulted in significant increases in pain-free and maximum treadmill walking times compared with placebo. This was associated with a significant increase in the physical functioning component of the SF-36 score. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00681226

Long-term azithromycin for Indigenous children with non-cystic-fibrosis bronchiectasis or chronic suppurative lung disease (Bronchiectasis Intervention Study) : a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial

Background Indigenous children in high-income countries have a heavy burden of bronchiectasis unrelated to cystic fibrosis. We aimed to establish whether long-term azithromycin reduced pulmonary exacerbations in Indigenous children with non-cystic-fibrosis bronchiectasis or chronic suppurative lung disease. Methods Between Nov 12, 2008, and Dec 23, 2010, we enrolled Indigenous Australian, Maori, and Pacific Island children aged 1—8 years with either bronchiectasis or chronic suppurative lung disease into a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible children had had at least one pulmonary exacerbation in the previous 12 months. Children were randomised (1:1 ratio, by computer-generated sequence with permuted block design, stratified by study site and exacerbation frequency [1—2 vs ≥3 episodes in the preceding 12 months]) to receive either azithromycin (30 mg/kg) or placebo once a week for up to 24 months. Allocation concealment was achieved by double-sealed, opaque envelopes; participants, caregivers, and study personnel were masked to assignment until after data analysis. The primary outcome was exacerbation (respiratory episodes treated with antibiotics) rate. Analysis of the primary endpoint was by intention to treat. At enrolment and at their final clinic visits, children had deep nasal swabs collected, which we analysed for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12610000383066. Findings 45 children were assigned to azithromycin and 44 to placebo. The study was stopped early for feasibility reasons on Dec 31, 2011, thus children received the intervention for 12—24 months. The mean treatment duration was 20·7 months (SD 5·7), with a total of 902 child-months in the azithromycin group and 875 child-months in the placebo group. Compared with the placebo group, children receiving azithromycin had significantly lower exacerbation rates (incidence rate ratio 0·50; 95% CI 0·35—0·71; p<0·0001). However, children in the azithromycin group developed significantly higher carriage of azithromycin-resistant bacteria (19 of 41, 46%) than those receiving placebo (four of 37, 11%; p=0·002). The most common adverse events were non-pulmonary infections (71 of 112 events in the azithromycin group vs 132 of 209 events in the placebo group) and bronchiectasis-related events (episodes or investigations; 22 of 112 events in the azithromycin group vs 48 of 209 events in the placebo group); however, study drugs were well tolerated with no serious adverse events being attributed to the intervention. Interpretation Once-weekly azithromycin for up to 24 months decreased pulmonary exacerbations in Indigenous children with non-cystic-fibrosis bronchiectasis or chronic suppurative lung disease. However, this strategy was also accompanied by increased carriage of azithromycin-resistant bacteria, the clinical consequences of which are uncertain, and will need careful monitoring and further study.

A randomized controlled trial of a 10 percent CPP-ACP cream to reduce mutans streptococci colonization

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 10 percent casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) cream to reduce mutans streptococci (MS) colonization and prevent early childhood caries. Methods The cohort was randomized at mean age of 11 days old to receive once-daily CPP-ACP cream (n=102) or no product (comparison group; n=89) from the time of first tooth eruption. All mothers were contacted by telephone at six, 12, and 18 months and advised to brush their children's teeth twice daily with low-dose fluoride toothpaste. At 24 months, all children were examined at a community clinic. Results At 24 months old, one out of 65 (2 percent) children in the CPP-ACP group had caries vs. four out of 58 (seven percent) in the comparison group (difference not statistically significant). There were fewer MS-positive children in the CPP-ACP group (26 percent) vs. the comparison group (47 percent; P=.02). A dose-response effect of CPP-ACP usage on MS was observed, where MS was present in eight percent of regular CPP-ACP users, 28 percent of irregular users, and 47 percent of non-users (P<.02). Conclusions CPP-ACP reduced the percentages of mutans streptococci-positive 24-month-old children, although it did not reduce caries prevalence.

A randomized controlled trial of self-management programme improves health-related outcomes of older people with heart failure

Aims This paper is a report on the effectiveness of a self-management programme based on the self-efficacy construct, in older people with heart failure. Background Heart failure is a major health problem worldwide, with high mortality and morbidity, making it a leading cause of hospitalization. Heart failure is associated with a complex set of symptoms that arise from problems in fluid and sodium retention. Hence, managing salt and fluid intake is important and can be enhanced by improving patients' self-efficacy in changing their behaviour. Design Randomized controlled trial. Methods Heart failure patients attending cardiac clinics in northern Taiwan from October 2006–May 2007 were randomly assigned to two groups: control (n = 46) and intervention (n = 47). The intervention group received a 12-week self-management programme that emphasized self-monitoring of salt/fluid intake and heart failure-related symptoms. Data were collected at baseline as well as 4 and 12 weeks later. Data analysis to test the hypotheses used repeated-measures anova models. Results Participants who received the intervention programme had significantly better self-efficacy for salt and fluid control, self-management behaviour and their heart failure-related symptoms were significantly lower than participants in the control group. However, the two groups did not differ significantly in health service use. Conclusion The self-management programme improved self-efficacy for salt and fluid control, self-management behaviours, and decreased heart failure-related symptoms in older Taiwanese outpatients with heart failure. Nursing interventions to improve health-related outcomes for patients with heart failure should emphasize self-efficacy in the self-management of their disease.

Study protocol : a randomised controlled trial of a theory-based online intervention to improve sun safety among Australian adults

Background The effects of exposure to ultraviolet radiation are a significant concern in Australia which has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the world. Despite most skin cancers being preventable by encouraging consistent adoption of sun-protective behaviours, incidence rates are not decreasing. There is a dearth of research examining the factors involved in engaging in sun-protective behaviours. Further, online multi-behavioural theory-based interventions have yet to be explored fully as a medium for improving sun-protective behaviour in adults. This paper presents the study protocol of a randomised controlled trial of an online intervention based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) that aims to improve sun safety among Australian adults. Methods/Design Approximately 420 adults aged 18 and over and predominantly from Queensland, Australia, will be recruited and randomised to the intervention (n = 200), information only (n = 200) or the control group (n = 20). The intervention focuses on encouraging supportive attitudes and beliefs toward sun-protective behaviour, fostering perceptions of normative support for sun protection, and increasing perceptions of control/self-efficacy over sun protection. The intervention will be delivered online over a single session. Data will be collected immediately prior to the intervention (Time 1), immediately following the intervention (Time 1b), and one week (Time 2) and one month (Time 3) post-intervention. Primary outcomes are intentions to sun protect and sun-protective behaviour. Secondary outcomes are the participants’ attitudes toward sun protection, perceptions of normative support for sun protection (i.e. subjective norms, group norms, personal norms and image norms) and perceptions of control/self-efficacy toward sun protection. Discussion The study will contribute to an understanding of the effectiveness of a TPB-based online intervention to improve Australian adults’ sun-protective behaviour. Trials registry Australian and New Zealand Trials Registry number ACTRN12613000470796

Decentralized voltage support in a Low Voltage feeder by droop based voltage controlled PVs

Voltage drop at network peak hours is a significant power quality problem in Low Voltage (LV) distribution feeders. Recently, voltage rise due to high penetration of Photovoltaic cells (PVs) has been creating a new power quality problem during noon periods. In this paper, a voltage control strategy is proposed for the household installed PVs to regulate the voltage along the LV feeder. For this purpose, each PV is controlled to exchange reactive power with the grid. A droop control method is utilized to coordinate the reactive power exchange of each PV. The proposed method is a decentralized local voltage support since it is based on only local measurements and does not require any communication with other PVs. The required converter and filter structure and control algorithms are proposed to ensure the dynamic performance of the system. The study focuses on 3-phase PVs. The network is studied at network peak and off-peak periods, separately. The efficacy of the proposed voltage support concept is verified through numerical and dynamic analyses with MATLAB and PSCAD/EMTDC.

Can ginger ameliorate chemotherapy-induced nausea? Protocol of a randomized double blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Preliminary research shows ginger may be an effective adjuvant treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting but significant limitations need to be addressed before recommendations for clinical practice can be made. Methods/Design In a double–blinded randomised-controlled trial, chemotherapy-naïve patients will be randomly allocated to receive either 1.2 g of a standardised ginger extract or placebo per day. The study medication will be administrated as an adjuvant treatment to standard anti-emetic therapy and will be divided into four capsules per day, to be consumed approximately every 4 hours (300 mg per capsule administered q.i.d) for five days during the first three cycles of chemotherapy. Acute, delayed, and anticipatory symptoms of nausea and vomiting will be assessed over this time frame using a valid and reliable questionnaire, with nausea symptoms being the primary outcome. Quality of life, nutritional status, adverse effects, patient adherence, cancer-related fatigue, and CINV-specific prognostic factors will also be assessed. Discussion Previous trials in this area have noted limitations. These include the inconsistent use of standardized ginger formulations and valid questionnaires, lack of control for anticipatory nausea and prognostic factors that may influence individual CINV response, and the use of suboptimal dosing regimens. This trial is the first to address these issues by incorporating multiple unique additions to the study design including controlling for CINV-specific prognostic factors by recruiting only chemotherapy-naïve patients, implementing a dosing schedule consistent with the pharmacokinetics of oral ginger supplements, and independently analysing ginger supplements before and after recruitment to ensure potency. Our trial will also be the first to assess the effect of ginger supplementation on cancer-related fatigue and nutritional status. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are distressing symptoms experienced by oncology patients; this trial will address the significant limitations within the current literature and in doing so, will investigate the effect of ginger supplementation as an adjuvant treatment in modulating nausea and vomiting symptoms. Trial registration

Controlled automated discovery of collections of business process models

Automated process discovery techniques aim at extracting process models from information system logs. Existing techniques in this space are effective when applied to relatively small or regular logs, but generate spaghetti-like and sometimes inaccurate models when confronted to logs with high variability. In previous work, trace clustering has been applied in an attempt to reduce the size and complexity of automatically discovered process models. The idea is to split the log into clusters and to discover one model per cluster. This leads to a collection of process models – each one representing a variant of the business process – as opposed to an all-encompassing model. Still, models produced in this way may exhibit unacceptably high complexity and low fitness. In this setting, this paper presents a two-way divide-and-conquer process discovery technique, wherein the discovered process models are split on the one hand by variants and on the other hand hierarchically using subprocess extraction. Splitting is performed in a controlled manner in order to achieve user-defined complexity or fitness thresholds. Experiments on real-life logs show that the technique produces collections of models substantially smaller than those extracted by applying existing trace clustering techniques, while allowing the user to control the fitness of the resulting models.

A controlled, rapid approach to curriculum change

Teachers are continually bombarded with change programs for improvements in areas such as literacy and numeracy, however; the focus is often on the program and not on results (Pertuzé, Calder, Greitzer & Lucas, 2010). When the inevitable failure follows (Fullan, 2005; Gross, Giacquinta & Bernstein, 1971)the school moves on to a new activities-based model.

A 5- versus 3-day course of oral corticosteroids for children with asthma exacerbations who are not hospitalised : a randomised controlled trial

Objective To determine whether a 5-day course of oral prednisolone is superior to a 3-day course in reducing the 2-week morbidity of children with asthma exacerbations who are not hospitalised. Design, setting and participants Double-blind randomised controlled trial of asthma outcomes following a 5-day course of oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg) compared with a 3-day course of prednisolone plus placebo for 2 days. Participants were children aged 2–15 years who presented to the emergency departments of three Queensland hospitals between March 2004 and February 2007 with an acute exacerbation of asthma, but were not hospitalised. Sample size was defined a priori for a study power of 90%. Main outcome measures Difference in proportion of children who were symptom-free at Day 7, as measured by intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol analysis; quality of life (QOL) on Days 7 and 14. Results 201 children were enrolled, and there was an 82% completion rate. There was no difference between groups in the proportion of children who were symptom-free (observed difference, 0.04 [95% CI, − 0.09 to 0.18] by ITT analysis; 0.04 [95% CI, − 0.17 to 0.09] by per-protocol analysis). There was also no difference between groups in QOL (P = 0.42). The difference between groups for the primary outcome was within the equivalence range calculated post priori. Conclusion A 5-day course of oral prednisolone confers no advantage over a 3-day course for children with asthma exacerbations who are not hospitalised.