Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine

About us

The Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine research team, led by Professor Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg, is the most active paediatric anaesthesia research program in Australasia.

The team works within a large interdisciplinary network and is actively involved in several international and collaborative networks. Locally, it collaborates with multiple specialities (ENT, General surgery, Sleep and Respiratory Medicine, Neonates, Pharmacy). The team conducts research on all aspects of clinical care, focusing not only on anaesthesia and pain medicine but also on perioperative outcomes and improving the care of our young patients.

In 2019, the team established an Anaesthetic Research Consumer panel, comprising caregivers/parents and young adult with lived experience to provide insight and invaluable information on their perioperative experience. They are the link between consumers, the community and researchers. We also have Youth Consumers who play an important role in shaping and improving our research.

Our team

Current perioperative-related studies

The image is a rainbow coloured display of all the research projects that the Anaesthesia Research Team has currently in progress. These research projects cover the areas of: Pain Medicine (16 Projects), Optimisation of Medicines (7 projects), Consumer Engagement & consumer research (17 Projects), Drug Allergy (4 projects), Anxiety Management Postoperative Delirium and Depression (5 projects), Post Operative Outcomes (16 projects), Neurodevelopment/behaviours (5 Projects), Physiological studies (10 projects), Infectious Diseases / Microbiome (2 projects), Modelling and Machine Learning (10 projects), Preoperative Risk Stratification (16 projects), Staff and Careers (10 projects), Anaesthesia Equipment and Management (21 Projects).
  • Anaesthesia Management

    OPTIMISE-2: LaryngOscoPy for neonaTal and Infant aIrway Management wIth Supplemental oxygEn at different flow rates: a multi-center, non-inferiority, prospective randomized controlled trial

    POSSUM: investigating the impact of patient positioning before and after surgery and the occurrence of perioperative respiratory adverse events

    CRICKET: Critical events in anaesthetised kids undergoing tracheal intubation – a prospective, multi-centre observational study

  • Physiological Studies

    COMET: Investigating changes of lung mechanics after gas insufflation during laparoscopic appendectomy procedures

    SAGA: Improving safety for young children with asthma undergoing general anaesthesia

    BUFFALO: Investigating the use of high flow versus low flow oxygen administration in bronchoscopy surgeries

    GIRAFFE: Investigating the use of high flow versus low flow oxygen administration in gastroscopy surgeries

  • Anaesthesia and the Brain

    TREX: Comparing two anaesthesia management plans (sevoflurane vs low-dose sevoflurane with dexmedetomidine and remifentanil) and assessing neurodevelopmental outcomes

    NIRS EEG: Investigating the incidence of perioperative cerebral desaturation in neonates undergoing selective surgeries

  • Pain Medicine

    GAP: Gabapentin use to manage post tonsillectomy pain

    CHIMP: Clonidine to help improve the management of pain post-tonsillectomy

    POPSICLE: Multi-site study

    investigating the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of chronic pain following common paediatric surgeries

    RAPID: Paediatric chronic pain management – understanding medication efficacy and burden of adverse effects

  • Postoperative Outcomes

    CHEWY: Randomized trial of chewing gum versus ondansetron to treat postoperative nausea and vomiting in female patients after breast or laparoscopic surgery

    MATES: Melatonin After Tonsillectomy to Enhance Sleep and Recovery in children

    The PREVENT AGITATION trial II: Children ≤1 year

  • Anxiety and Pain Management

    MAGIC COAT: Using the cognitive behaviour therapy program (the Magic Coat) developed for children by a teacher to build resilience and coping skills to develop a preoperative medicine version to help children deal with peri-operative anxiety and develop lifelong skills

    POLARBEAR PAIN: Identifying if there is information overload among children living with chronic pain and their parents/carers

  • Consumer Engagement

    COCAS: Core outcomes in children undergoing anaesthesia and surgery

    ACORN PAIN: Consumer based study looking to formulate a list of top 10 research ideas for children with chronic pain

    FROG: Consumer based study looking to formulate a list of top 10 research ideas for neonates requiring surgery

  • Qualitative Studies

    ANTELOPE:  ANxiety Themes and Experience: Learning through Qualitative Interviews to Optimise the Perioperative Environment

    QUENDA:  QUalitative Exploration to uNderstand pain in children and Develop novel technologies to Address challenges

    VITAL: Validation of HLS-Child-Q15 In English, a Tool to Assess paediatric health Literacy

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