Trial of Antiseptic Irrigation for Pleural Infection
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2024-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Pleural antiseptic irrigation (PAI) is used in conjunction with open drainage for treating
adults with chronic post-thoracotomy empyema. The antiseptic povidone-iodine can safely be
instilled into the pleural cavity for the purpose of pleurodesis and has recently been
described for pleural irrigation in the acute management of paediatric pleural infection with
good outcomes. A recent case report demonstrated the safe use of povidone-iodine pleural
irrigation in a patient with complex pleural empyema with successful medical management. In a
previous pilot study, antiseptic irrigation led to less referral to surgery and shorter
length of hospital stay in comparison to no irrigation.
This study aims to investigate the effect of antiseptic pleural irrigation (using povidone
iodine) on the inflammatory response in adults patients with pleural infection in comparison
to irrigation with normal saline alone. A reduction in the systemic inflammatory response can
be inferred to correlate with reduction in the infection burden in the pleural space.