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TerminatedNCT01576679Updated Jun 27, 2019

Safety and Efficacy of the Use of Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) in Intra-Abdominal Collections in Children - A Prospective Study

A Phase 3 interventional study of Cathflo (Alteplase) and Saline in Intra-abdominal Abscess, sponsored by The Hospital for Sick Children. Terminated at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged Up to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-06-27.

Sponsored by The Hospital for Sick Children · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
very slow accrual.
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
28
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
Up to 18 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The objective of this study is to establish the efficacy of tPA when used in pediatric intra-abdominal abscesses immediately after percutaneous drainage, irrespective of the ultrasound appearance or consistency of the drained fluid.

Read the detailed description

The use of tPA in pediatric abdominal abscesses is poorly defined. The indications are somewhat subjective and the dosage guidelines vary between institutions. Some studies have suggested that it be administered at, or soon after, the time of drainage if the ultrasound appearance of the collection is complex and/or septated, or if the initial aspirated contents are thick and viscous. Both criteria are difficult to accurately define and implement. In many instances, when there is minimal ongoing drainage despite follow-up ultrasound appearances suggesting a significant residual collection, tPA is administered several days following the initial procedure.

The purpose of this study is to establish the efficacy of tPA in the initial treatment of all pediatric intra-abdominal abcesses and a standardized manner in which it can be used. This may eventually lead to a change in practice in the management of this patient population.

02

Conditions studied

  • Intra-abdominal Abscess

Keywords

  • intra-abdominal
  • abscess
  • tPA
  • alteplase
  • cathflo
03

In context

Abdominal Abscess

31 studies on the registry are indexed under Abdominal Abscess; 5 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 28 is below the median of 105 across 24 interventional studies indexed under Abdominal Abscess.

Browse Abdominal Abscess studies →

Lead sponsor

The Hospital for Sick Children is the lead sponsor of 578 studies on the registry; 83 are open to participants now.

Of its 7 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 1 (14%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Up to 18 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. All patients under the age of 18 years with intra-abdominal bacterial abscesses requiring percutaneous drain insertion (including transrectal drains).
  2. Drain(s) must be inserted within the 23hrs prior to enrollment in the study.
  3. The underlying diagnosis of the condition will not affect the enrollment of the patient unless it is detailed within the exclusion criteria (section 4.1.2).
  4. Patients and parents must have signed to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:1.

  1. Pancreatic abscess (not bacterial in nature)
  2. Known coagulation impairment
  3. Known central nervous system tumor or abscesses
  4. Arteriovenous malformation
  5. Aneurysm or history of central nervous system bleeding
  6. to tPA
  7. Recent administration of an drug (within previous 30 days)
  8. Pregnancy
  9. Breast-feeding
  10. Fulminant hepatic failure
  11. Proven fistula (as it will alter the drainage time) or any abscess secondary to Crohn's Disease (because fistula existence cannot be excluded)
  12. Necrotizing enterocolitis
  13. Children requiring 4 or more drains
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(3)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

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You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
28 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    tPA

    tissue Plasminogen Activator

    Drug: Cathflo (Alteplase)

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Saline

    Drug: Saline

Interventions

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Length of time the drain remains insitu

    The primary outcome is the length of time (in hours) the drain remains insitu. For the primary outcome the individual abscess will be the unit of measurement; if there are multiple abscesses (up to a maximum of three) in the one patient each abscess will receive the same treatment. In the case of more than one drain being inserted in a single patient, the length of time that each drain remains in situ will be recorded individually.

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Documentation of any adverse event

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks

  2. The length of hospital stay

    Time frame: up to 2 months

  3. Rate of resolution of abscess

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks

  4. Return of clinical parameters to normal

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • The Hospital for Sick Children
    Toronto, Ontario M5G1X8, Canada
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 27, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01576679
Responsible party
Bairbre Connolly (Project Investigator, The Hospital for Sick Children) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 12, 2012
Start date
Mar 2012
Primary completion
May 2016
Completion
Jun 2017
Last update
Jun 27, 2019

Study contacts

Bairbre Connolly, MD
principal investigator · The Hospital for Sick Children

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Jun 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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