Can tracking fluid around the lungs improve care?
NCT ID NCT05759117
First seen Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study follows 1000 adults hospitalized with pleural effusion, a buildup of fluid around the lungs that often requires a hospital stay. Researchers will collect fluid samples during routine thoracentesis, a procedure to drain the chest, and track each patient's diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. The goal is to map the range of causes and current management practices to find ways to speed up diagnosis and improve outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- thoracentesis (chest drain insertion) for pleural fluid analysis
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to better early diagnosis and more effective management of pleural effusion, reducing hospital stays and complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, so it won't test a new treatment. Results depend on the quality of routine care and may not apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 1,000 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2022
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients who have pleural effusion and will undergo thoracentesis for pleural fluid sampling
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients hospitalized for pleural effusion. * Pleural tapping will be performed for pleural fluid analysis. * Aged 18 years old or above Exclusion Criteria: \- Failed to obtain informed consent due to the patient's refusal or cognitive impairment
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Chinese University of Hong Kong
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Prince of Wales Hospital
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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