A study of the mechanics of breathlessness and how these change following drainage of a pleural effusion

A study to investigate the effect of thoracocentesis on neural respiratory drive in pleural effusion

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN36677860

Enrollment

Registered

2017-05-03

Start date

2017-06-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2023-11-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pleural effusion Respiratory

Interventions

Potentially eligible patients will be invited by the direct care team to speak to the research team. The research team will provide information about the trial as well as perform an ultrasound evaluat

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Unilateral pleural effusion requiring thoracentesis on clinical grounds 2. Aged 18 years and over

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Age less than 18 years old 2. Any contraindications to thoracocentesis 3. Evidence of loculation on ultrasound 4. Unable to undergo procedure comfortably for up to one hour 5. Allergy to lidocaine 6. Unable to tolerate oesophageal catheter placement 7. Suspected trapped lung based on clinical suspicion 8. Pre-existing lung disease 9. Any previous pleural intervention on ipsilateral side excluding previous thoracocentesis 10. Past medical history of diaphragmatic paralysis

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Neural respiratory drive is measured by diaphragmatic EMG at baseline, continuously during thoracocentesis and up to 10 minutes post procedure.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Diaphragmatic excursion is measured by M-mode ultrasonography at baseline and every 250mls to the end of thoracocentesis procedure 2. Pleural pressure is measured using pleural manometry at baseline and every 250mls to the end of thoracocentesis procedure 3. Change in breathlessness measured by the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile and 100mm visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline, 1 hour post thoracentesis and 24 hours post-thoracentesis 4. Exercise tolerance measured using the 6 minute walk test at baseline and 24 hours post-thoracocentesis	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Diaphragmatic excursion is measured by M-mode ultrasonography at baseline and every 250mls to the end of thoracocentesis procedure 2. Pleural pressure is measured using pleural manometry at baseline and every 250mls to the end of thoracocentesis procedure 3. Change in breathlessness measured by the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile and 100mm visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline, 1 hour post thoracentesis and 24 hours post-thoracentesis 4. Exercise tolerance measured using the 6 minute walk test at baseline and 24 hours post-thoracocentesis

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Countries

England, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 14, 2026