SUPPORTED
Research type
Research Study
Full title
SUPPORTED: The development of an abdominal support binder for the management of ascites
IRAS ID
185195
Contact name
Nancy Preston
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 30 days
Research summary
This is a small exploratory study to find out if a specially designed support garment would be useful and acceptable for patients who are suffering from Ascites, an incurable condition which often occurs in patients with advanced cancer or liver disease. These patients may develop a very distended abdomen due to the accumulation of a large volume of fluid, and this can cause discomfort, breathlessness, difficulties with digestion and emotional distress.
Previous research by Dr Nancy Preston found that ascitic fluid accumulated more slowly in patients who were given an elasticated support garment. Additionally and unexpectedly, patients reported feeling more comfortable whilst wearing this garment.
In order to build on this work, Dr Preston has been awarded a grant from the Lancaster University ‘Pathways to Impact’ awards scheme. She is working with an industry partner, Jobskin, who have designed a new support garment (which has received CE marking), based on feedback from the participants from the earlier study.
It is proposed that this new garment will now be evaluated by 10 patients with Ascites. These patients will wear the new garment for a period of up to 2 hours, and will then complete a simple questionnaire on issues such as ease of putting on/taking off the garment, level of comfort and acceptability.
If the findings indicate that the garment is comfortable and acceptable, further funding will be sought to test the garment with a larger group of patients. This could lead to the development of a marketable version of the support garment, which could benefit large numbers of patients with Ascites in the UK and elsewhere.REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0299
Date of REC Opinion
17 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion