Chest infection showdown: drugs or surgery for empyema?
NCT ID NCT04095676
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether treating pleural empyema (a serious lung infection with pus in the chest cavity) with a drain and medication works as well as surgery. 184 adults with advanced-stage empyema will be randomly assigned to either video-assisted surgery or a less invasive approach using a small tube and drugs that break down pus. The main goal is to see which method leads to a shorter hospital stay.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- alteplase and dornase alfa (Pulmozyme) given into the chest cavity
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that a less invasive drainage-and-medication approach is as good as or better than surgery for treating pleural empyema, potentially reducing recovery time and healthcare costs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial with 184 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. Both treatments have risks, such as bleeding or infection, and the study may not find a clear winner.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Aarhus University Hospital
RECRUITINGAarhus, Aarhus, 8200, Denmark
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Odense University Hospital
RECRUITINGOdense, Denmark
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Rigshospitalet
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGCopenhagen, Denmark
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