Mount Druitt

Researchers are evaluating ways to improve hepatitis C virus HCV care in drug treatment clinics and needle and syringe programs in New South Wales and across Australia. The ETHOS II Project aims to develop a framework to establish HCV screening and treatment programs in these settings nationally. This collaborative research involves several health organizations and focuses on people with a history of injecting drug use or those receiving opioid substitution therapy. The study includes an intervention called campaign days where participants receive hepatitis C screening, liver fibrosis assessments using fibroscans, and clinical assessments. Participants also complete surveys and may consent to link their data with population databases. A sub-study involves collecting blood samples from some participants to evaluate new diagnostic tests for chronic HCV infection. Additionally, interviews with policymakers, clinicians, and patients will explore barriers to HCV care, and an education program will be developed to improve workforce knowledge and care quality. Participants will be recruited from drug treatment clinics, general practitioners with high case loads, and needle and syringe programs. They will undergo hepatitis C testing, fibroscans, clinical assessments, and complete questionnaires during the campaign days. Researchers will track how many participants start anti-HCV treatment each year for up to three years. The study also includes follow-up through medical record reviews to monitor outcomes and improve treatment access and delivery.

Researchers are evaluating the long-term effects of lidocaine infusions given during and after surgery to reduce moderate or severe chronic post-surgical pain in adult women undergoing elective breast cancer surgery. This large, international, randomized, double-blind trial aims to detect a meaningful reduction in chronic pain one year after surgery and also assesses safety, pain relief, opioid use, nerve-related pain symptoms, psychological health, and quality of life. Participants receive either a lidocaine infusion starting with an intravenous bolus after anesthesia induction, continuing with an intraoperative intravenous infusion, and followed by a post-operative subcutaneous infusion for up to 24 hours. The lidocaine dosing is adjusted by lean body weight with a cap, while the comparison group receives a saline placebo infusion following the same schedule. Day-case surgeries receive only the intraoperative treatments without the post-operative infusion. During the trial, participants will be monitored for pain severity, opioid consumption, nerve-related symptoms, psychological distress, physical functioning, quality of life, safety events, and health care costs up to one year after surgery. The primary outcome is the incidence of moderate or severe chronic post-surgical pain reported at one year. Assessments include patient-reported outcomes, pain scores at 24 hours postoperatively, and opioid use at various timepoints. The total participation duration extends up to one year after surgery.