ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01717742Updated Apr 14, 2020Results posted

Intrapleural DNase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Pediatric Empyema (DTPA Trial)

A Phase 3 interventional study of TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) and DNase in Pleural Empyema, sponsored by The Hospital for Sick Children. Completed at 6 sites in Canada. Open to participants aged 6 Months to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-04-14.

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

Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
97
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
6 Months to 18 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Bacterial pneumonia can be complicated by the development of excess fluid and pus (pleural empyema) around the lungs in children. The incidence of pleural empyema in children has increased significantly in the last 10 years.

Short term morbidity for this condition is substantial, but unlike in adults, the long term outcome of this condition for children in developed countries is favourable. Inserting a chest drain and then adding a medicine (tissue plasminogen activator - tPA) to break down organized pus has been shown to be an effective therapy for reducing the duration of illness. However, this treatment is still suboptimal and prolonged hospitalization is common. Recent data from adults suggests that adding an additional medicine (DNase) to decrease the viscosity (thickness) of the fluid improves drainage and leads to better patient outcomes; however, there are no published studies on children.

This is a multi-centre randomized controlled trial comparing the time to discharge from hospital after chest drain insertion in previously well children who present with pleural empyema, treated with intrapleural DNase and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) by chest drain for three doses over 48 hours compared with three doses over 48 hours of tPA alone. Other outcomes related to effectiveness, safety and cost will be assessed as well.

02

Conditions studied

  • Pleural Empyema

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Randomized controlled trial
  • Pleural Empyema
  • tPA
  • DNase
03

In context

Empyema, Pleural

33 studies on the registry are indexed under Empyema, Pleural; 11 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 97 is above the median of 77 across 26 interventional studies indexed under Empyema, Pleural.

Browse Empyema, Pleural 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
6 Months to 18 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. age 6 months to 18 years
  2. hospitalized with diagnosis of pleural empyema requiring chest tube drainage with fibrinolytics as judged by the attending physician with the following criteria:

    1. pneumonia with pleural effusion as documented on ultrasound of the chest; AND
    2. need for further intervention in addition to antibiotics based on clinical criteria [persistent fever despite on antibiotics for at least 48 hours OR significant respiratory distress tachypnea, hypoxia) as a result of the pleural fluid collection]

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. empyema as a result of tuberculosis, fungus or non-infectious causes (e.g. )
  2. known coagulation impairment
  3. suspected or proven allergy to tPA or DNase
  4. chronic lung disease or other chronic illnesses (e.g. immunodeficiency or neurologic impairment)
  5. child has already undergone a drainage procedure (e.g. chest drain or VATS).
  6. recent administration of an drug (within previous 30 days)
  7. pregnancy
  8. breastfeeding
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

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.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

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
97 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    tPA and placebo

    Drug: TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) · Other: Placebo

  • Experimental
    tPA and DNase

    Drug: TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) · Drug: DNase

Interventions

  • Intrapleural administration of tPA 4 mg in 10 ml (≤10 kg) or 20 ml (\>10 kg) normal saline once daily for 3 days

    Also known as: Cathflo (alteplase, recombinant)

  • DrugDNase

    Drug pages: Deoxyribonucleases · Deoxyribonuclease I

    Intrapleural administration of DNase 5 mg diluted to 10 ml (≤10 kg) or 20 ml (\>10 kg) normal saline once daily for 3 days

    Also known as: Pulmozyme (Dornase alfa)

  • OtherPlacebo

    Intrapleural administration of normal saline 10 ml (≤10 kg) or 20 ml (\>10 kg)

    Also known as: Normal saline

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to Hospital Discharge

    Time from insertion of the chest drain to discharge from hospital.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Time to Meeting Discharge Criteria

    Time from insertion of the chest drain to meeting discharge criteria. Discharge criteria: * Chest tube removed * No fever \[temperature less than 38°C\] * Normal respiratory rate forage * No hypoxia * Drinking fluids wel

    Time frame: up to 4 months

  2. Time to Drain Removal

    Time from drain insertion to drain removal.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

  3. Duration of Fever After Intervention

    Duration of fever (defined as temperature \>38 degrees celsius taken by any method) from insertion of the chest drain until resolution.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

  4. Number of Participants With Need for Ventilatory Support or Non-invasive Ventilation Following the Intervention

    Number of Participants with need for any kind of ventilatory support or any kind of non-invasive ventilation right after the intervention.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

  5. Number of Participants With Serious Bleeding

    Number of Participants who had intrapleural bleeding resulting in a drop in hemoglobin of greater than 20 g/L or needing a transfusion.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

  6. Number of Participants With Further Interventions

    Number of participants who needed further intervention such as placement of another chest drain (by any technique) or surgical intervention such as thoracotomy and decortication, video-assisted thorascopic surgery, or pneumonectomy.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

  7. Number of Participants With Hospital Readmission

    Number of Participants who had any hospital readmission after discharge from hospital for initial treatment for pleural empyema within three months related to pleural empyema or its treatment.

    Time frame: 3 months post-discharge

  8. Cost of the Hospitalization

    An economic evaluation will compare the relative costs of DNase-tPA with tPA alone in previously well children who present with pleural empyema, using patient-level data from the trial.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

  9. Mortality

    Mortality from any cause during the hospitalization for empyema.

    Time frame: up to 4 months

Other outcomes

  1. Chest Radiography

    The radiograph closest to the time of drain removal will be reviewed by a blinded study radiologist to determine the percentage of hemithorax occupied using a 5 point ordinal scale utilized in previous studies ranging from no fluid present to fluid occupying \>75% of the most affected hemithorax.

    Time frame: 7 days after drain removal

07

Results

Posted Apr 3, 2020

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestonetPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) and PlacebotPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) and DNase
Started4849
Completed4347
Not completed52

Outcome measures

PrimaryTime to Hospital Discharge

Time from insertion of the chest drain to discharge from hospital.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Mean · days
Time to Hospital Discharge
daysInterventionControl
Time to Hospital Discharge9.0 ± 4.99.1 ± 5.3
SecondaryTime to Meeting Discharge Criteria

Time from insertion of the chest drain to meeting discharge criteria. Discharge criteria: * Chest tube removed * No fever \[temperature less than 38°C\] * Normal respiratory rate forage * No hypoxia * Drinking fluids wel

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Mean · days
Time to Meeting Discharge Criteria
daysInterventionControl
Time to Meeting Discharge Criteria8.2 ± 4.58.5 ± 5.4
SecondaryTime to Drain Removal

Time from drain insertion to drain removal.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Mean · days
Time to Drain Removal
daysInterventionControl
Time to Drain Removal6.9 ± 4.36.9 ± 5.3
SecondaryDuration of Fever After Intervention

Duration of fever (defined as temperature \>38 degrees celsius taken by any method) from insertion of the chest drain until resolution.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Mean · days
Duration of Fever After Intervention
daysInterventionControl
Duration of Fever After Intervention2.8 ± 3.43.3 ± 3.4
SecondaryNumber of Participants With Need for Ventilatory Support or Non-invasive Ventilation Following the Intervention

Number of Participants with need for any kind of ventilatory support or any kind of non-invasive ventilation right after the intervention.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Need for Ventilatory Support or Non-invasive Ventilation Following the Intervention
ParticipantsInterventionControl
Number of Participants With Need for Ventilatory Support or Non-invasive Ventilation Following the Intervention98
SecondaryNumber of Participants With Serious Bleeding

Number of Participants who had intrapleural bleeding resulting in a drop in hemoglobin of greater than 20 g/L or needing a transfusion.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Serious Bleeding
ParticipantsInterventionControl
Number of Participants With Serious Bleeding24
SecondaryNumber of Participants With Further Interventions

Number of participants who needed further intervention such as placement of another chest drain (by any technique) or surgical intervention such as thoracotomy and decortication, video-assisted thorascopic surgery, or pneumonectomy.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Further Interventions
ParticipantsInterventionControl
Number of Participants With Further Interventions42
SecondaryNumber of Participants With Hospital Readmission

Number of Participants who had any hospital readmission after discharge from hospital for initial treatment for pleural empyema within three months related to pleural empyema or its treatment.

Time frame:
3 months post-discharge
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Hospital Readmission
ParticipantsInterventionControl
Number of Participants With Hospital Readmission20
SecondaryCost of the Hospitalization

An economic evaluation will compare the relative costs of DNase-tPA with tPA alone in previously well children who present with pleural empyema, using patient-level data from the trial.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Mean · 2018 US $
Cost of the Hospitalization
2018 US $InterventionControl
Cost of the Hospitalization11329 ± 713910760 ± 5071
SecondaryMortality

Mortality from any cause during the hospitalization for empyema.

Time frame:
up to 4 months
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Mortality
ParticipantsInterventionControl
Mortality00
Other pre-specifiedChest Radiography

The radiograph closest to the time of drain removal will be reviewed by a blinded study radiologist to determine the percentage of hemithorax occupied using a 5 point ordinal scale utilized in previous studies ranging from no fluid present to fluid occupying \>75% of the most affected hemithorax.

Time frame:
7 days after drain removal
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Chest Radiography
ParticipantsInterventionControl
<=25%3325
26-50%1011
51-75%14
>75%21
Missing37

Adverse events

Collected over Over the course of the patient's hospitalization. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Intervention0/49 (0%)6/49 (12.2%)8/49 (16.3%)
Control0/48 (0%)8/48 (16.7%)13/48 (27.1%)
Most frequent serious events
Most frequent serious events
EventInterventionControl
Serious bleedingBlood and lymphatic system disorders2/494/48
Low hemoglobin levelsBlood and lymphatic system disorders0/492/48
Bronchopleural fistulaRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders2/490/48
HemothoraxRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders1/491/48
Septic shockBlood and lymphatic system disorders0/491/48
TENSION PYOTHORAXRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders1/490/48
Most frequent other events
Showing 10 of 15
Most frequent other events
EventInterventionControl
NauseaGastrointestinal disorders0/492/48
RashSkin and subcutaneous tissue disorders0/492/48
ConstipationGastrointestinal disorders1/492/48
EdemaGeneral disorders0/492/48
Low albuminEndocrine disorders1/491/48
Chest tube removed accidentallyGeneral disorders0/491/48
Elevated potassiumEndocrine disorders0/491/48
Upper respiratory infectionRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders0/491/48
Urinary infectionRenal and urinary disorders0/491/48
Transient chest painCardiac disorders1/490/48

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)Intervention (tPA & DNase)Placebo (tPA & Placebo)Total
<=18 years494897
Between 18 and 65 years000
>=65 years000
Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(Months)Intervention (tPA & DNase)Placebo (tPA & Placebo)Total
Mean58.4 ± 43.364.1 ± 44.261.3 ± 45.6
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Intervention (tPA & DNase)Placebo (tPA & Placebo)Total
Female242145
Male252752
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Race/Ethnicity, Customized(Participants)Intervention (tPA & DNase)Placebo (tPA & Placebo)Total
Race/ethnicity — First nations022
Race/ethnicity — African202
Race/ethnicity — Asian/Pacific Islander141327
Race/ethnicity — White262652
Race/ethnicity — Hispanic101
Race/ethnicity — Middle Eastern011
Race/ethnicity — South Asian011
Race/ethnicity — Prefer not to answer549
Race/ethnicity — Missing112
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(Participants)Intervention (tPA & DNase)Placebo (tPA & Placebo)Total
Canada494897
08

Study locations

6 sites
  • Alberta Children's Hospital
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • British Columbia Children's Hospital
    Vancouver, British Columbia BC V6H 3N1, Canada
  • McMaster Children's Hospital
    Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada
  • Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
    Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L1, Canada
  • The Hospital for Sick Children(SickKids)
    Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
  • CHU Sainte Justine
    Montreal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Livingston MH, Mahant S, Connolly B, MacLusky I, Laberge S, Giglia L, Yang C, Roberts A, Shawyer A, Brindle M, Parsons S, Stoian C, Walton JM, Thorpe KE, Chen Y, Zuo F, Mamdani M, Chan C, Loong D, Isaranuwatchai W, Ratjen F, Cohen E. Effectiveness of Intrapleural Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Dornase Alfa vs Tissue Plasminogen Activator Alone in Children with Pleural Empyema: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 Apr 1;174(4):332-340. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.5863. PubMed 32011642 ↗
  • Livingston MH, Mahant S, Ratjen F, Connolly BL, Thorpe K, Mamdani M, Maclusky I, Laberge S, Giglia L, Walton JM, Yang CL, Roberts A, Shawyer AC, Brindle M, Parsons SJ, Stoian CA, Cohen E. Intrapleural Dornase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator in pediatric empyema (DTPA): a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2017 Jun 24;18(1):293. doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-2026-0. PubMed 28646887 ↗

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 14, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01717742
Collaborators
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, St. Justine's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, The Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation, McMaster Children's Hospital, British Columbia Children's Hospital
Responsible party
Eyal Cohen (Staff Physician, The Hospital for Sick Children) — Principal investigator
First posted
Oct 30, 2012
Start date
Dec 2012
Primary completion
Dec 2017
Completion
Dec 2017
Results posted
Apr 3, 2020
Last update
Apr 14, 2020

Study contacts

Eyal Cohen, MD, MSc
principal investigator · The Hospital for Sick Children

Oversight

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

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Deoxyribonucleases · Deoxyribonuclease I

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