ClinicalTrials.gg
WithdrawnNCT05461053Updated Jan 5, 2024

Conservative Management of Cutaneous Abscess

A Phase 4 interventional study of LMX 4 Topical Cream in Cutaneous Abscess, sponsored by Rush University Medical Center. Withdrawn at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-01-05.

Sponsored by Rush University Medical Center · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
Unable to recruit
Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
2 Years to 18 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a single center non-blinded randomized trial of topical anesthetic cream to usual care (warm compresses and time) for superficial, non-perianal abscesses in children under 18 years of age. The primary outcome is time to spontaneous drainage. The secondary outcomes are return to emergency room/hospital/care provider and need for incision and drainage. Information on patient experience using standardized patient reported outcome measures for health-related quality of life will also be gathered. The findings of this study will provide more robust evidence of the benefit of this treatment including a potential reduction in cost and allow for more widespread dissemination.

Read the detailed description

Cutaneous abscesses are a common problem in the pediatric population, leading to a substantial number of emergency room and primary care visits each year. Historically, treatment consisted of antibiotics and surgical drainage, but as our understanding of these disease processes has progressed, treatment has moved away from invasive drainage procedures except when necessary. Now, most patients are treated with warm compresses or warm baths to the area until spontaneous resolution occurs. Recent data has demonstrated that the application of topical anesthetic cream to a cutaneous abscess underneath a non-permeable dressing can lead to improved rates of spontaneous drainage. Although this method is being used with success at our institution, its true benefit is unknown, preventing widespread dissemination of the practice. We are therefore proposing a prospective trial to evaluate the benefit of this treatment on pediatric patients. This is a single center non-blinded randomized trial of topical anesthetic cream to usual care (warm compresses and time) for superficial, non-perianal abscesses in children under 18 years of age. The primary outcome is time to spontaneous drainage. The secondary outcomes are return to emergency room/hospital/care provider and need for incision and drainage. Information on patient experience using standardized patient reported outcome measures for health-related quality of life will also be gathered. The findings of this study will provide more robust evidence of the benefit of this treatment including a potential reduction in cost and allow for more widespread dissemination.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cutaneous Abscess

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03

In context

Abscess

152 studies on the registry are indexed under Abscess; 22 are open to participants now.

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Lead sponsor

Rush University Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 397 studies on the registry; 61 are open to participants now.

Of its 32 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 26 (81%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
2 Years 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

  • \<18 years of age
  • Single, localized soft tissue abscess \<3 cm in size by clinical or imaging criteria

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Signs of systemic illness/infection including but not limited to temperature > 100.4, lethargy, or poor oral intake;
  • A decision by an attending physician that incision and drainage is necessary;
  • Inpatient admission; patients; soft tissue abscesses involving the perineum (labia, scrotum, penis, perianal), hands/feet, or face;
  • Previous antibiotic use in the past seven days or previous attempt by a clinician/provider at drainage;
  • Current drainage from abscess.
  • Lidocaine allergy
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

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.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

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05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • No intervention
    Warm Compress application

    The control group will receive instructions on applying warm compresses, the current standard of care. The patient or parent/guardian will be directed to apply a warm compress to the abscess or soak the area in warm water for 15 minutes. The application/soak will be done 4 times during the day.

  • Experimental
    LMX4-A topical anesthetic application

    The intervention group will be prescribed a course of LMX4 with application of a non-permeable dressing (Tegaderm, 3M, St Paul, MN) until time of spontaneous drainage, treatment failure, or resolve of pain. LMX4 is a topical anesthetic consisting of 4% lidocaine which is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for topical use in children.

    Drug: LMX 4 Topical Cream

Interventions

  • The intervention group will be prescribed a course of LMX4 with application of a non-permeable dressing (Tegaderm, 3M, St Paul, MN) until time of spontaneous drainage, treatment failure, or resolve of pain. LMX4 is a topical anesthetic consisting of 4% lidocaine which is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for topical use in children.

    Also known as: lidocaine

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to Spontaneous Discharge

    Patient/Caregiver will be called to learn date of spontaneous discharge

    Time frame: Enrollment + 7-14 Days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Rate of Failure

    Study team will review medical records for hospital admission, need for incision and drainage, or additional medication treatment

    Time frame: Enrollment + 30 Days

Other outcomes

  1. Pain Interference PROMIS Pediatric Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference - Short Form 8a

    PROMIS Pediatric Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference - Short Form 8a, range 8-40, lower score better

    Time frame: Enrollment + 7-14 Days

  2. Pain Interference PROMIS Pediatric Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference

    PROMIS Pediatric Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference, range 20-100, lower score better

    Time frame: Enrollment + 7-14 Days

  3. Pain Interference PROMIS Parent Proxy Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference - Short Form 8a

    PROMIS Parent Proxy Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference - Short Form 8a, range 8-40, lower score better

    Time frame: Enrollment + 7-14 Days

  4. Pain Interference PROMIS Parent Proxy Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference

    PROMIS Parent Proxy Item Bank v2.0 - Pain Interference, range 13-65, lower score better

    Time frame: Enrollment + 7-14 Days

  5. Global Health PROMIS Pediatric Scale v1.0 - Global Health 7+2

    PROMIS Pediatric Scale v1.0 - Global Health 7+2, range 9-45, lower score better

    Time frame: Enrollment + 7-14 Days

  6. Global Health PROMIS Parent Proxy Scale v1.0 - Global Health 7+2

    PROMIS Parent Proxy Scale v1.0 - Global Health 7+2, range 9-45, lower score better

    Time frame: Enrollment + 7-14 Days

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Rush University Medical Center
    Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Start is estimated for Jan 2025; primary completion for Jan 2026, 12 months later.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 6, 2022
First posted
Jul 15, 2022
StartEst.
Jan 2025
Primary completionEst.
Jan 2026
CompletionEst.
Jan 2027
Last update
Jan 5, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 5, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05461053
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 15, 2022
Start date
Jan 2025 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jan 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Jan 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Jan 5, 2024

Study contacts

Brian Gulack, MD
principal investigator · Rush University Medical Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is withdrawn, as verified in Jan 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Studies of the drug tested here: Lidocaine

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