Pleural Ultrasound after Pleurodesis for Pneumothorax - A Pilot Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can thoracic ultrasound reproducibly identify structural abnormalities in the pleura after pleurodesis for pneumothorax? – A Pilot Study
IRAS ID
237744
Contact name
Alan Kirk
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
National Waiting Times Centre Board
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Introduction
Pneumothorax (the leakage of air from the lung into the chest cavity) can occur spontaneously due to anatomical abnormalities in the lung (primary), or as a result of underlying lung disease (secondary). There are two main aims of pneumothorax treatment. The first is the removal of the air from the chest cavity; the second is preventing the condition from recurring. This is usually achieved through surgical intervention. Determining the efficacy of this surgery is difficult, and usually relies on analysis of the rate of pneumothorax recurrence.Background
A potential method of assessing the efficacy of this surgery is ultrasound. Studies have shown that ultrasound can be used to detect the anatomical changes surrounding lung tissue that pneumothorax surgery (pleurodesis) aims to induce. However there is little evidence for using ultrasound after surgery for pneumothorax to assess the surgery efficacy.Methods
We will perform ultrasound at 9 areas on the chest and back in patients who have undergone pneumothorax surgery. The study will contain two groups of patients. Group A will be investigated once, 4-6 weeks after surgery. The other will be investigated on consecutive days following the surgery until discharge, and finally 4-6 weeks post-surgery. Surgery will be deemed "effective" or "not effective" at each point, and overall, based on the detection of the expected structural changes induced by surgery.Aims
The aim of the research is to investigate the feasibility of using ultrasound to assess the efficacy of surgery for pneumothorax in routine clinical practice. This could help to tailor bespoke follow up regimens based on the effects on the lung after surgery.REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/2051
Date of REC Opinion
22 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion