5 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
After sustaining severe trauma to the chest, patients will often bleed into the chest cavity (pleural space) which is called hemothorax or they may also experience air leakage within the chest cavity in combination with the bleeding (hemopneumothorax). These conditions are treated with the insertion of a tube into the chest called a chest tube (CT). Insertion of the CT is very painful for the patient due to the size or diameter of the tube. Alternative to CT is a small percutaneous catheter (PC), pigtail or non-pigtail. At Banner-University of Arizona Tucson Campus (B-UATC) investigator prefers inserting a small pigtail catheter for the management of hemothorax or hemopnuemothorax. The primary purpose of our study is to see if the use of the PC is just as effective as CT in terms of removing leaked blood and/or air from the chest cavity.
Traumatic hemothorax and hemopneumothorax are common diagnoses which are typically treated by placement of a chest tube. 28-32 Fr chest tubes have previously been shown equivalent to 36-40 Fr chest tubes for the non-emergent drainage of hemothorax. A smaller study has found 14 Fr pigtails had less pain than larger tubes but was not powered to compare outcomes. We seek to perform a prospective randomized trial that is adequately powered comparing efficacy of 14 Fr thal tubes to 28 Fr chest tubes for non-emergent drainage of hemothorax and hemopneumothorax. Additionally, we will employ maximal barrier precautions for all chest tube insertions and compare empyema rates to our historical controls.
This HTX treatment study evaluates the effects of chest tube size and the benefits of daily irrigations on acute HTX. 20 acutely injured but stable trauma patients requiring a chest tube for HTX will be enrolled. Patients will be assigned a 28Fr or 14 Fr chest tube with serial lavage and drainage. The endpoints will be HTX volume (by CT scan), complications, additional interventions, hospital length of stay, chest tube duration, provider feedback, and patient-reported outcomes.
Dynamic digital radiography (DDR) is a new advanced version of chest radiography that captures dynamic images at a rate of 15 frames per second. It is coupled with an analytical software that allows it to provide more advanced measures of lung motion, ventilation, and perfusion compared to traditional chest radiography. While implementation of DDR fixed machines are beginning elsewhere in the US, this trial involves the first applications of an FDA-approved portable DDR machine, for use at the bedside in the ICU. The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the feasibility and safety of portable DDR technology in the ICU, as well as to evaluate the improved clinical diagnostic value of the portable DDR system over current standards of care. Participants will receive one to three sets of DDR images, which will then be compared to their clinical gold standard exams (such as chest x-rays, CTs, or VQ scans) to assess and improve the precision and accuracy of measurements such as diaphragmatic motion, lung movement, and perfusion.
Thoracic complications directly or indirectly consequence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (including either pathologies strictly related to the infection, or iatrogenic effects of therapeutic attempts to treat it) have been described during the pandemic. Many of the above conditions often require a surgical approach but, based on published data reporting high early postoperative morbidity and mortality, many experts initially advised against any referral to surgery in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, the issue is if salvage surgical approach should be always excluded or could be considered when it represents the only remaining effective option. In the absence of solid data and recommendations, this is a demanding challenge for thoracic surgeons. The investigators have coordinated a multicenter study to collect the experience of several worldwide high-volume thoracic surgery departments. Their objective is to investigate efficacy and safety of surgery in COVID-19 patients who developed thoracic complications that required operative management.