An observational study in Pleural Effusion, sponsored by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-04.
Sponsored by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust · Observational
The aim of this study is to better understand the relationship between pleural effusions and breathlessness in patients with unilateral pleural effusions and breathlessness who require pleural fluid removal for its management.
This study will involve 124 adult patients who are breathlessness with pleural effusions. They will be recruited from a single UK centre over an 18-month period.
After being informed about the study, all patients giving written informed consent will undergo a baseline assessment when they first come to have their fluid drained. The investigators will record information about them and their disease. The investigators will take measurements of their breathlessness, their breathing muscles, and the electrical activity from the brain to those muscles. These will be taken at the start and end of drainage, as well as 1 day and 7 days after. The investigators will use this information to look for links between the effect of pleural effusions and its removal on the electrical activities of the breathing muscles and patients' breathlessness.
241 studies on the registry are indexed under Pleural Effusion; 50 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 124 is below the median of 140 across 93 observational studies indexed under Pleural Effusion.
Browse Pleural Effusion studies →Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is the lead sponsor of 295 studies on the registry; 80 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adult patients with unilateral pleural effusions requiring pleural fluid removal via thoracocentesis, chest drain insertion or IPC drainage for management of their breathlessness.
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.
Has a unilateral pleural effusion AND
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients with symptomatic unilateral pleural effusion of any cause who will be undergoing pleural fluid removal via thoracocentesis, chest drain insertion or IPC drainage for relief of their breathlessness.
Other: Surface parasternal eletromyogram · Other: Surface diaphragm electromyogram · Other: Parasternal muscle ultrasound · Other: Breathlessness assessment
The surface parasternal EMG of participants will be measured pre, immediately post and at days 1 and 7 following pleural fluid removal
The ipsilateral and contralateral surface diaphragm EMG of participants will be measured pre and immediately post pleural fluid removal
The thickness of the parasternal intercostal muscle of participants will be measured using thoracic ultrasound pre and immediately post pleural fluid removal
The VAS breathlessness score and Dyspnoea-12 questionnaire of participants will be measured pre, immediately post and at days 1 and 7 following pleural fluid removal
Neural respiratory drive (as measured by surface parasternal EMG) at 24 hours post pleural fluid removal
Neural respiratory drive index (as measured by surface parasternal EMG)
Time frame: 24 hours
Patient reported breathlessness (as measured by VAS dyspnoea score) at 24 hours post pleural fluid removal
VAS dyspnoea score
Time frame: 24 hours
Neural respiratory drive (as measured by surface parasternal EMG) at other time points post pleural fluid removal
Neural respiratory drive index (as measured by surface parasternal EMG)
Time frame: pre procedure, immediately post procedure and daily up to 7 days
Patient reported breathlessness (as measured by VAS dyspnoea score) at other time points post pleural fluid removal
VAS dyspnoea score
Time frame: pre procedure, immediately post procedure and daily up to and 7 days
The effect on exercise capacity of pleural fluid removal.
6 min walk test
Time frame: pre procedure, immediately post procedure, 1 day and 7 days
Pleural effusion characteristics as measured by thoracic ultrasound
Thoracic ultrasound
Time frame: immediately post procedure, 1 day and 7 days
To determine the acceptability of incorporating surface parasternal EMG measurement as part of routine clinical practice to patients and clinicians
Qualitative feedback form
Time frame: peri-procedural
Neural respiratory drive (as measured by surface diaphragm EMG) of the ipsilateral hemidiaphragm following thoracocentesis
Neural respiratory drive index (as measured by surface diaphragm EMG)
Time frame: peri-procedural
Ipsilateral hemidiaphragm morphology and movement as measured by thoracic ultrasound.
Thoracic ultrasound
Time frame: peri-procedural
Neural respiratory drive (as measured by surface diaphragm EMG) of the contralateral hemidiaphragm following thoracocentesis
Neural respiratory drive index (as measured by surface diaphragm EMG)
Time frame: peri-procedural
Contralateral hemidiaphragm morphology and movement as measured by thoracic ultrasound.
Thoracic ultrasound
Time frame: peri-procedural
Parasternal intercostal muscle thickness as measured by thoracic ultrasound following pleural fluid removal
Thoracic ultrasound
Time frame: peri-procedural
Plan to share: No
Started Nov 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jun 2027, 43 months after the start.
Of 35 observational studies under Pleural Effusion, half reached primary completion within 26 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 15 and three quarters within 48. This study's planned 43 months is above that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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