Clinical trials and research units

Main areas of research
The Anaesthesia research team has a broad range of experience. Their research focus is in the per-operative environment, working with theatre and PACU. They are keen to work with different research departments within Waikato Hospital and to build collaborative partnerships on projects.

Current research areas of interest:

Regional anaesthesia

• ESB Pilot Trial: Erector Spinae Blockade feasibility Study
• PECs II Trial: PEC’s II blockade study on Patient Quality of Recovery following breast surgery

Cardiac surgery

• ITACs Trial: IV Iron for treatment of anaemia before cardiac surgery
• LAAOS III Trial: occlusion versus non-occlusion of LAA and stroke

Anaesthetic EEG

• Balanced Anaesthesia Study: Depth of anaesthesia on patient outcome after major surgery
• Alpha-Max Trial: Modulation of EEG to reduce delirium in PACU
• Conscious II Trial: EEG and IFT testing of responsiveness during anaesthesia

Audits
The department also collects audit data for a variety of projects.

Contact 
Professor Jamie Sleigh

Dr Kelly Byrne

Dr Amy Gaskell

Jonathan Termaat

Gay Mans

Email: anaesthesiacentral@waikatodhb.health.nz

Anaesthesia Department listing 

Read more here

Main areas of research
There are multiple subtypes of breast cancer and we coordinate clinical trials introducing new surgical, radiotherapy and drug treatments for the different types of this disease. In addition we run the Waikato Breast Cancer Register, and coordinate local PhD and other research.

Contacts
Jenni Scarlet
Fiona Johnson

Waikato Breast Cancer Research Trust

Phone: 07 839 8726 ext 97916 or ext 97845
www.wbcrt.org.nz  

Active /recruiting research

• POSNOC trial - POsitive Sentinel NOde: adjuvant therapy alone versus adjuvant therapy plus Clearance or axillary radiotherapy.
• ROLLIS trial - Can Radio-guided Occult Lesion Localisation using Iodine-125 Seeds (ROLLIS) for excision of impalpable breast cancer reduce the rate of pathologically inadequate margins and/or subsequent oncological surgery compared with standard hook-wire localisation? A randomised controlled trial.

Completed research

• International Breast cancer Intervention Study (IBIS) II Prevention and IBIS II DCIS trials.
• SOFT - Supression of Ovarian Function Trial.
• TAILORx – Trial Assigning Individualised Options for Treatment.
• SOLE - Study Of Letrozole Extension trial.
• SNAC2  - Sentinel Node biopsy versus Axillary Clearance trial.
• QoLID - Quality of Life study of Immediate and Delayed breast reconstruction.
• SUPREMO Selective Use of Postoperative Radiotherapy After Mastectomy trial.

Main areas of research

• Medical Oncology Phase I-III: currently recruiting for melanoma, advanced solid tumours, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cancer, oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
• Radiation Oncology: currently recruiting for bladder cancer.
• Haematology, malignant and non-malignant: currently recruiting for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), multiple myeloma, paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH).
• We also support in-house, investigator-lead trials.

Our goal is to have clinical trials available in the main tumour streams across the unit. We continue to seek good quality trials that offer our patients an opportunity to participate in novel treatment options.  This allows us access to treatment for anticancer and non-malignant drugs that are non-funded, giving our patients a greater range of treatment options.

Contact
Wendy Thomas
Clinical Nurse Manager

Trials completed or closed to recruitment

• Medical Oncology: melanoma, prostate cancer, advanced solid tumours, breast cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer.
• Haematology: PNH, chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), multiple myeloma, Hodgkins lymphoma, haemophilia, myelofibrosis.
• Radiation Oncology: glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, lymphoma.

Main areas of research

• Heart attacks.
• Heart failure.
• Heart valve disease.
• Heart rhythm disorders.
• Continuing evaluation of current treatments (Data Collection Registries).

Our Cardiology Department has been involved in clinical research for almost 50 years. Cardiology patients in Waikato Hospital participated in more than 140 international multi-centre trials, which have led to the evidence-based treatments that are used today.

Contact
Liz Low

Phone: 07 839 7136

Main areas of research
Critical care

Contacts
Kara Trask 
Sarah Rogers
Amelia Butler

Active/recruiting research

• FAB study – Fluid after Bypass study.
• PLUS study – A pivotal, multicentre, parallel-group, double blind randomised controlled trial of plasmalyte use versus saline in adult critically ill patients deemed to require fluid resuscitation
• Gallus NIV Mask Trial – with Fisher and Paykel
• BALANCE – Bacteremia Antibiotic Length Actually Needed for Clinical Effectiveness – A prospective multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority, concealed allocation trial of shorter duration (7 days) versus longer duration (14 days) antibiotic treatment for critically ill patients with bloodstream infections.
• REMAP- CAP- Randomised Embedded Multifactorial Adaptive Platform Trial of Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Completed research

• PEPTIC study – Proton pump inhibitors versus histamine receptor blockers for ulcer prophylaxis therapy in the ICU.
• TARGET study – The augmented versus routine approach to giving energy trial.
• TRANSFUSE study – A multi-centre randomised double blinded phase III trial of fresh versus standard issue of red blood cells for transfusion.

Main areas of research
Diabetes – cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, glucose control, devices for glucose monitoring and insulin delivery, diabetes and driving.

Contact
Annie Johnstone
Study coordinator
Phone: 021 240 9087
Annie.Johnstone@waikatodhb.health.nz 

Active/recruiting research

Diabetes and kidney disease - two studies.

Completed studies

Diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes.

Main areas of research
Telehealth is the use of information and communication technology to deliver clinical services at a distance. Virtual health care encompasses telehealth and extends the definition to include mobile platforms that integrate with clinical systems to deliver a fuller package of care.

Contact
Denise Irvine
Denise.Irvine@waikatodhb.health.nz
Phone: 07 839 8899 ext 23255

Active/recruiting research

• Clinician Perceptions of Healthcare Gamifications.
• Identifying clinicians’ perspective on what makes patients unsuitable to use virtual mode for outpatient consult.
• Telemedicine as an acceptable alternative to in-person clinics/phone call follow up for the provision of care to adults with epilepsy that improves access to healthcare.

Main areas of research
High quality data to provide a picture of trauma in our community, using the Midland Trauma Registry and clinical trials involving trauma patients.

Contact
Grant Christey
Trauma Director

Phone: 021 761 941
www.midlandtrauma.nz

Active/recruiting research
Patients for the PATCH (Pre-hospital Anti-fibrinolytics for Traumatic Coagulopathy and Haemorrhage) clinical trial.

Completed research
Research using registry data including 'Older persons incidence of trauma' 5-Districts major trauma project.

Main areas of research
Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Stroke.

Contact
Ruth Mylchreest
Study Coordinator
neuroresearch@waikatodhb.health.nz

Active/recruiting research
Clinically Isolated Syndrome Trial at present.

Main areas of research

• Induction of labour
• Analgesia in labour
• Steroids in pregnancy
• Analgesia for outpatient hysteroscopy

Contacts

Dr R Foon
Dr N Titchiner – OBLIGE study
Dr V Carlsen – C steroids trial
Dr E Twidale – MACH

OBLIGE study
Outpatient Balloon vs. Inpatient GEl: A multi-centre randomised clinical trial of outpatient intrauterine Foley catheter balloon vs inpatient prostaglandin for cervical priming for women undergoing induction of labour.

Visit the OBLIGE website for more information.

C Steroids trial
A multi-centre placebo-controlled randomised trial, to assess the effects of corticosteroids prior to planned CS at 35+0 to 39+6 weeks on neonatal health.

MACH
Methoxyflurane for conscious hysteroscopy, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. 

Remifentanil PCA vs Epidural use in labour
Comparing the efficacy of IV Remifentanil PCA with epidural during labor

• Cancer clinical trials patient information booklet [PDF, 421 KB]

Contact
Deborah Peek
Nurse Coordinator

Respiratory

The Respiratory research team consists of two consultants, at least one research fellow, two study coordinators/research nurses, and one administrative assistant.

We currently have a variety of studies in progress for a range of medical conditions including:

• Asthma 
• COPD
• Bronchiectasis
• Influenza A
• Bronchiectasis
• IPF
• Alph1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
• Colistridium Difficle
• Community Acquired Pneumonia

Read more

Gastroenterology

The Gastro research team consists of two consultants, one research fellow, two study coordinators/research nurses, and one administrative assistant.

We currently have a variety of studies in progress for a range of medical conditions including:

• Crohns Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Hepatitis B & C
• NASH
• Primary biliary cholangitis

Main areas of research

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Gout
• Systemic Lupus Erythematous
• Scleroderma

Contact
Denise Darlington
Study Coordinator

Active /recruiting research

• Ankylosing spondylitis - one trial
• Psoriatic arthritis – two trials.