Search
Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream (SAB) infection is a common and severe infectious disease, with a 90-day mortality of 15%-30%. Despite this, <3000 people have been randomized into clinical trials of treatments for SAB infection.
Jonathan Lea-Ann Tom Carapetis AM Kirkham Snelling AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS PhD BMBS DTMH GDipClinEpid PhD FRACP Executive Director; Co-Head,
Regular intramuscular benzathine penicillin G injections have been the cornerstone of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) secondary prophylaxis since the 1950s. As the pharmacological correlate of protection remains unknown, it is difficult to recommend changes to this established regimen. Determining the minimum effective penicillin exposure required to prevent Streptococcus pyogenes infection will accelerate development of new long-acting penicillins for RHD prevention as well as inform opportunities to improve existing regimens. The CHIPS trial will address this knowledge gap by directly testing protection afforded by different steady state plasma concentrations of penicillin in an established model of experimental human S. pyogenes pharyngitis.
Prioritisation of clinical trials ensures that the research conducted meets the needs of stakeholders, makes the best use of resources and avoids duplication. The aim of this review was to identify and critically appraise approaches to research prioritisation applicable to clinical trials, to inform best practice guidelines for clinical trial networks and funders.
The Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP) trial is a multifactorial Bayesian adaptive platform trial that aims to improve the way that S. aureus bloodstream infection, a globally common and severe infectious disease, is treated. In a world first, the SNAP trial will simultaneously investigate the effects of multiple intervention modalities within multiple groups of participants with different forms of S. aureus bloodstream infection.
Globally, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. While ARI-related mortality is low in Australia, First Nations infants are hospitalised with ARIs up to nine times more often than their non-First Nations counterparts.
To assess the short term safety of the COVID-19 vaccines Comirnaty (Pfizer–BioNTech BNT162b2) and Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca ChAdOx1) in Australia.
Peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication of joint replacement surgery. Determining the optimal duration of intravenous (IV) antibiotics for PJI managed with debridement and implant retention (DAIR) is a research priority.
Because of its beneficial off-target effects against non-mycobacterial infectious diseases, bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination might be an accessible early intervention to boost protection against novel pathogens. Multiple epidemiological studies and randomised controlled trials are investigating the protective effect of BCG against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Christopher Asha André Dr Anita Blyth Bowen Schultz Campbell MBBS (Hons) DCH FRACP FRCPA PhD BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM MBChB, PhD, FRACP