Positive Airway Pressure on Pleural Effusion After Drainage

Efficacy of the Addition of Positive Airway Pressure to Conventional Chest Physiotherapy in the Time to Resolution of Pleural Effusion After Drainage

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT02246946

Enrollment

156

Registered

2014-09-23

Start date

2014-12-31

Completion date

2016-12-31

Last updated

2017-01-18

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

Conditions

Pleural Effusion

Keywords

pleural effusion, chest tube, respiratory therapy, intermittent positive-pressure breathing, lung function, pulmonary complications

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if the addition of intermittent positive airway pressure breathing (specific lung expansion technique) to conventional chest physiotherapy chest drainage is effective to accelerate the reabsorption of pleural effusion and consequently decrease the duration of chest tube drainage and respiratory system impairment. These effects would decrease hospital stay lengths and the incidence of pulmonary complications.

Interventions

DEVICEPositive Airway Pressure

To this group, Intermittent Positive Airway Pressure Breathing with 15 mmHg by Muller Reanimatior (Engemed, Brazil) device with a rubber facial mask will be provide

OTHERConventional Chest Physiotherapy

To this group, routine physiotherapy exercises will be conducted plus Intermittent Positive Airway Pressure Breathing with 4 mmHg by Muller Reanimatior (Engemed, Brazil) device with a rubber facial mask will be provide

PROCEDUREControl group

to this group, Airway Pressure Breathing with 4 mmHg by Muller Reanimatior (Engemed, Brazil) device with a rubber facial mask will be provide

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* age over 18 years * presence of pleural effusion * have undergone chest drain for fewer than 24 hours

Exclusion criteria

* contraindication to the use of non-invasive equipment that generates positive airway pressure (such as: intolerance, phobia, drowsiness, restlessness, confusion, hemodynamic instability requiring vasopressor therapy, systolic blood pressure \< 90 mmHg, facial trauma, ineffective cough or inability to swallow, nausea or vomiting, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, acute myocardial infarction within the last 48 hours, pneumothorax or bullous emphysema)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Duration of chest tube drainage	All patients will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 7 days of chest drainage	The criteria for the removal the chest drain will an output of transudative fluid over 24h ≤ 200 ml and full lung expansion on chest radiography

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Spirometry	On the 4th and 8th days after the beginning of the intervention protocol. Or on the day of hospital discharge if it occurs prior to the 8th day of protocol	The blind assessor will use a portable spirometer according previously established implementation and acceptability criteria. The following variables will be considered: forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in the 1st second, and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of the curve. The predictive values for the Brazilian population will be used
Peripheral Oxygen Saturation	On the 4th and 8th days after the beginning of the intervention protocol. Or on the day of hospital discharge if it occurs prior to the 8th day of protocol	The patients will be required to breath room air (without supplemental oxygen) for at least 10 minutes prior to the assessments. The blind assessor will use a portable pulse oximeter.
Pulmonary complications	All patients will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 10 days	The occurrence of the following complications will be monitored until the day of hospital discharge by a physician blinded to the intervention groups: pneumonia (chest radiography with pulmonary infiltrate associated with two of the following signs: purulent expectoration, temperature above 38.3°C and a greater than 25% increase in baseline leukocyte count with hyperthermia); atelectasis (RX associated with abnormal chest acute respiratory symptoms); and hypoxemia (peripheral oxygen saturation associated with respiratory symptoms below 85%)
Length of hospital stay	All patients will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 10 days	The number of days in the hospital after chest drainage until discharge will be counted for each patient

Countries

Brazil

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 1, 2026