Comparing two ways to flush your chest tube
Part of Lungs & breathing clinical trials.
This trial compares two ways of flushing a small chest tube used to drain fluid from around the lung: one uses plain salt water (normal saline), and the other uses a salt water solution that contains a blood thinner (heparin). The goal is to see which method keeps the tube from clogging better.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- You are admitted to a hospital medical ward for fluid around your lung (pleural effusion).
- You have a small chest tube (called a small bore intercostal catheter) in place.
- You do not have both air and fluid in your chest (hydropneumothorax).
- You are not getting medicine to break up thick fluid pockets (intrapleural fibrinolysis).
- You do not have a severe bleeding risk (high INR, low platelets, or other clotting problems).
- You are awake, able to consent, and do not have a permanent chest tube.
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
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