Home › NCT06937450

Traumatic Hemothorax Drainage and Daily Lavage

Traumatic Hemothorax Treatment With 14-Fr Pigtail Catheters or Large Bore (~28Fr) Chest Tubes With Daily Irrigation: A Pilot Single-Arm Intervention Study

Who can join

Ages 15 and older · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Able to provide consent for the research study
2. More than 15 years of age
3. Presence of acute traumatic HTX or HTX-PTX diagnosed on chest CT scan within 24 hours of injury and clinical indication for drainage (hemothorax of moderate or large size greater then 300 mL)
4. Hemodynamic stability (heart rate 120 beats per minute; systolic blood pressure 90 mmHg)
5. Bilateral or unilateral hemothorax of greater than 300 mL HTX by Mergo Formula from chest CT
6. Able to complete the entire study including randomization, tube placement, lavages and final CT Scan.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Less than 15 years of Age
2. Prisoner
3. Pregnant due to the risk of CT scans
4. HTX or HTX-PTX not requiring drainage or drainage performed prior to randomization/enrollment
5. Patients undergoing operative intervention (i.e. thoracotomy) as initial management of hemothorax (6) Persistent hemodynamic instability after initial resuscitation and CT imaging

About the study

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.

What is being tested

• CLR Irrigator (device)
• Serial Lavage and Drainage (procedure)
• 28 Fr Open Chest Tube (device)
• Percutaneous 14Fr Chest Tube (device)

Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania · Participants: 20 · Started: Mar 30, 2025

Contact the study team

• Jeremy W Cannon, MD · Phone: 215-66-27320
• Phillp Kemp Bohan, MD · Phone: 267-909-3573

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06937450

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.