Treating infected chest fluid with two medicines through your chest tube
Part of Infections, Lungs & breathing clinical trials.
This study tests a two-step treatment for infected fluid around the lungs called empyema. It uses two medicines (tPA and DNase) given through your chest tube to break up and clear the fluid, which may help your lung expand and avoid surgery.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- You are 18 years old or older
- You have an infected or inflamed fluid buildup around your lung that needs a chest tube for drainage
- You have not received any medication through your current chest tube before this study
- You are not taking blood thinners, have no active bleeding, and have no allergy to tPA or DNase
- You are not pregnant
- You can give your own consent or have someone designated to make decisions for you
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
Similar studies
Other trials that look related to this one.
This trial tests a once-daily enzyme treatment given through a chest tube to clear infected fluid from around the lungs. It may help people with complicated pneumonia or empyema who still have fluid buildup after initial drainage.
This study tests whether regularly flushing the chest tube with a small amount of liquid helps prevent blockages in people who have a severe lung infection that spreads to the chest cavity. If you need a chest tube for this type of infection, you may be able to join.
This trial tests a new device to wash out fluid that stays in the chest after a chest tube is placed. It might help people who cannot receive standard medication to break up this fluid within the first day after their chest tube is inserted.
This trial tests if adding a simple saltwater rinse to standard chest tube drainage helps clear stubborn lung infections. It might be an option if you have an infected fluid pocket in your chest that isn't draining well.
This trial tests two combinations of medicines for people with infected fluid around the lung that isn't draining well through a chest tube. The goal is to see which combination works better to clear the infection and improve recovery.
This study tests whether a lower dose of alteplase (a clot-busting medicine) given into the chest can improve healing of infected pleural fluid when drainage is incomplete. It may help reduce dosing-related side effects while still helping clear the infection-related fluid.
Hear when a new Empyema, Pleural trial opens
We’ll email you when one opens — at most once a week, no account needed, unsubscribe anytime.