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Status unknownNCT02436850Updated Mar 16, 2016

Bed Side Thoracentesis Among Non-Ventilated Patients With Respiratory Instability

An interventional study of Thoracentesis in Respiratory Instability, sponsored by Soroka University Medical Center. Status unknown at 1 site in Israel. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2016-03-16.

Sponsored by Soroka University Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Mar 2016), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of the trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of moderate to large volume thoracentesis (TC) in non-ventilated patients in Internal Medicine admitted due to, or suffer from respiratory instability. This is a prospective, double-center, randomized clinical trial. This is a stage 1 pilot trial aimed to provide better understanding on the study population and study groups. This trial will comprise a total of 60 patients, 30 subjects on the intervention group and an equal number on the control group. The results of this pilot trial will be to design a larger trial and calculate a required sample size.

Read the detailed description

The prevalence of pleural effusion is high among medical patients, reaching 62% among Medical ICU patients. Often clinicians are standing in front of a symptomatic respiratory patient with moderate or large pleural effusion. The clinical question whether TC will be beneficial for the patient with respiratory compromise is yet to be shown. There are few, small scale studies on the benefit of pleural effusion thoracentesis. Only one study found sustained effect of thoracentesis on oxygenation among 10 patients on mechanical ventilation. Lung function was found to improve after TC among patients with paradoxical movement of hemidiaphragm, and relief of dyspnea after large pleural effusion TC was demonstrated as well. No study to date, as the investigators know, on the benefit of TC, was done on non-ventilated, ward patients with moderate to large pleural effusion. Also, no studies to date showed any improved clinical outcome of this procedure.

Although ultrasound guided TC is a safer mode than blinded TC, complications as pneumothorax, pain, shortness of breath, cough, bleeding, hematoma, and re-expansion pulmonary edema may result from TC. Although no consensus exist regarding the benefit of TC still this procedure is common among ventilated and non-ventilated patients. The investigators seek to find whether there is clinical benefit for TC, among non-ventilated, ward patients with moderate to large pleural effusion. For this purpose the investigators aim to conduct a prospective randomized trial.

In this study the investigators aim to compare outcomes as: hospital length of stay, vital signs and wellbeing, utilization of imaging modalities and readmission rates among patients who had therapeutic TC compared to those who had not. Also the investigators would like to try and predict the amount of pleural effusion from the ultrasound imaging as well as to find the added value of point of care US screening of pleural effusion on top of routine Xr among patients with respiratory instability.

To the best of the investigators' knowledge, no prospective randomized study to date has compared the strategy of TC to none among non-ventilated ward patients with respiratory complains.

This is a prospective, double-center, randomized clinical trial. This is a stage 1 pilot trial aimed to provide better understanding on the study population and study groups. This trial will comprise a total of 60 patients, 30 subjects on the intervention group and an equal number on the control group. The results of this pilot trial will be to design a larger trial and calculate a required sample size.

02

Conditions studied

  • Respiratory Instability

Keywords

  • Thoracentesis
  • Pocket Ultrasound Device
  • Ultrasound
  • Soroka University Medical Center
  • Physical Examination
  • Ethical Committee
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Soroka University Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 157 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Patients admitted to internal ward
  2. Patients with moderate to large pleural effusion per ultrasound as defined under Eligibility section below
  3. At least of the following findings:

    • Dyspnea on admission notes
    • Tachypnea (RR >18 pm)
    • Desaturation (saturation\<88%)
    • Admission diagnosis of CHF exacerbation or any uncontrolled heart failure,
    • Effort dyspnea per history,
    • Acute or subacute (last two weeks) need for oxygen supplement or Noninvasive ventilation.
    • Admission diagnosis of pulmonary edema or pulmonary congestion
    • Hypoxemia (PaO2\<60mmHg)
    • Pleuritic chest pain

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Subject currently enrolled in another investigational study
  2. Patients on mechanical ventilation
  3. Patients with coagulopathy (known or with any prolongation of PTT, PT, fibrinogen\<200, platelets \<100000)
  4. Patients with cognitive impairment who cannot sign informed consent
  5. Patients with sepsis or fever and pneumonia and suspected empyema
  6. Patients with any previous surgeries to the lungs
  7. Patients whom the primary team call for therapeutic TC.
  8. Patients with less than moderate amount of pleural effusion (see Eligibility criteria)
  9. Palliative patients
  10. Pregnant patients
  11. On any current anticoagulation therapy or with any abnormal coagulation study.
  12. Patients with septations or cavitation in pleural space (visible on US
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Intervention group

    The intervention group will receive large volume thoracentesis.

    Procedure: Thoracentesis

  • No intervention
    Control group

    The control group will be taped with an 18 gauge and 20 gauge venflons and drain will not be placed.

Interventions

  • ProcedureThoracentesis

    An invasive procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Hospital length of stay

    Time frame: 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Vital signs and wellbeing questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  2. Readmission rates

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Soroka University Medical Center
    Beer Sheva, Israel
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Fartoukh M, Azoulay E, Galliot R, Le Gall JR, Baud F, Chevret S, Schlemmer B. Clinically documented pleural effusions in medical ICU patients: how useful is routine thoracentesis? Chest. 2002 Jan;121(1):178-84. doi: 10.1378/chest.121.1.178. PubMed 11796448 ↗
  • Mattison LE, Coppage L, Alderman DF, Herlong JO, Sahn SA. Pleural effusions in the medical ICU: prevalence, causes, and clinical implications. Chest. 1997 Apr;111(4):1018-23. doi: 10.1378/chest.111.4.1018. PubMed 9106583 ↗
  • Walden AP, Garrard CS, Salmon J. Sustained effects of thoracocentesis on oxygenation in mechanically ventilated patients. Respirology. 2010 Aug;15(6):986-92. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2010.01810.x. Epub 2010 Jul 20. PubMed 20646244 ↗
  • Collins TR, Sahn SA. Thoracocentesis. Clinical value, complications, technical problems, and patient experience. Chest. 1987 Jun;91(6):817-22. doi: 10.1378/chest.91.6.817. PubMed 3581930 ↗
  • Wang LM, Cherng JM, Wang JS. Improved lung function after thoracocentesis in patients with paradoxical movement of a hemidiaphragm secondary to a large pleural effusion. Respirology. 2007 Sep;12(5):719-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2007.01124.x. PubMed 17875061 ↗
  • Estenne M, Yernault JC, De Troyer A. Mechanism of relief of dyspnea after thoracocentesis in patients with large pleural effusions. Am J Med. 1983 May;74(5):813-9. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(83)91072-0. PubMed 6837605 ↗
  • Jones PW, Moyers JP, Rogers JT, Rodriguez RM, Lee YC, Light RW. Ultrasound-guided thoracentesis: is it a safer method? Chest. 2003 Feb;123(2):418-23. doi: 10.1378/chest.123.2.418. PubMed 12576360 ↗
  • Perazzo A, Gatto P, Barlascini C, Ferrari-Bravo M, Nicolini A. Can ultrasound guidance reduce the risk of pneumothorax following thoracentesis? J Bras Pneumol. 2014 Jan-Feb;40(1):6-12. doi: 10.1590/S1806-37132014000100002. PubMed 24626264 ↗
  • Eibenberger KL, Dock WI, Ammann ME, Dorffner R, Hormann MF, Grabenwoger F. Quantification of pleural effusions: sonography versus radiography. Radiology. 1994 Jun;191(3):681-4. doi: 10.1148/radiology.191.3.8184046. PubMed 8184046 ↗
  • Lichtenstein D, Hulot JS, Rabiller A, Tostivint I, Meziere G. Feasibility and safety of ultrasound-aided thoracentesis in mechanically ventilated patients. Intensive Care Med. 1999 Sep;25(9):955-8. doi: 10.1007/s001340050988. PubMed 10501751 ↗
  • Balik M, Plasil P, Waldauf P, Pazout J, Fric M, Otahal M, Pachl J. Ultrasound estimation of volume of pleural fluid in mechanically ventilated patients. Intensive Care Med. 2006 Feb;32(2):318. doi: 10.1007/s00134-005-0024-2. Epub 2006 Jan 24. PubMed 16432674 ↗
  • Vignon P, Chastagner C, Berkane V, Chardac E, Francois B, Normand S, Bonnivard M, Clavel M, Pichon N, Preux PM, Maubon A, Gastinne H. Quantitative assessment of pleural effusion in critically ill patients by means of ultrasonography. Crit Care Med. 2005 Aug;33(8):1757-63. doi: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000171532.02639.08. PubMed 16096453 ↗
  • Roch A, Bojan M, Michelet P, Romain F, Bregeon F, Papazian L, Auffray JP. Usefulness of ultrasonography in predicting pleural effusions > 500 mL in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Chest. 2005 Jan;127(1):224-32. doi: 10.1378/chest.127.1.224. PubMed 15653988 ↗
  • Feller-Kopman D, Walkey A, Berkowitz D, Ernst A. The relationship of pleural pressure to symptom development during therapeutic thoracentesis. Chest. 2006 Jun;129(6):1556-60. doi: 10.1378/chest.129.6.1556. PubMed 16778274 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 16, 2016, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02436850
Lead sponsor
Soroka University Medical Center
Responsible party
Ori Galante (Dr. Ori Galante, Soroka University Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 7, 2015
Start date
Aug 2015
Primary completion
Aug 2016 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 2017 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 16, 2016

Study contacts

Ori Galante, MD
Contact
ori.galante@gmail.com
+972-50-7577582
Lior Fuchs, MD
Contact
liorfuchs@gmail.com
+972-53-5221565

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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