Could a light swab stop nose surgery infections?
NCT ID NCT06731881
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study is testing whether a light-activated gel applied inside the nose before surgery can prevent infections afterward. Eighty adults having nasal surgery will either get the light treatment or a plain gel. Researchers will track who needs antibiotics for infection within 30 days. The goal is to see if this simple approach can safely reduce surgical site infections.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- methylene blue and chlorhexidine solution activated by light (Steriwave device)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to lower infection risk after nasal surgery, reducing the need for antibiotics.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early pilot study (80 people) and is not blinded, so results may be less reliable. The treatment may not significantly reduce infections compared to standard care.
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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2026
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.
- Ages
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16 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 ≥ 16 years * Patients scheduled to undergo elective: * Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) with or without adjunctive Septoplasty and/or Turbinoplasty * Septoplasty with or without adjunctive Turbinoplasty * Closed Septoplasty with or without adjunctive Turbinoplasty * Judged by the Investigator as suitable for participation in the study without safety concerns based on medical history and physical examination * Willing and able to provide written informed consent prior to participation in the clinical investigation * Willing and able to comply with all study related procedures Exclusion Criteria: -• Patients undergoing open septorhinoplasty, anterior or septal biopsies, or post cautery * Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency, bone marrow disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions requiring immunosuppressive treatment, any immunosuppressive medication at the time of consent or within the last 4 weeks before randomisation * Primary or secondary ciliary dyskinesia, cystic fibrosis * Patients who have received antibiotics within a week before randomisation * Patients who receive prophylactic antibiotics or antibiotics prior to discharge * Systemic steroid treatment less than 4 weeks before randomisation * History of frequent nose bleeds, or a condition that increases the risk of excessive bleeding * Undergoing active cancer treatment at time of consent/ or planning to start cancer treatment within trial period or completed cancer treatment within the last 4 weeks * Any disease, condition (medical or surgical), or drug or alcohol abuse, which, in the opinion of the investigator, might compromise the study results, or would place the patient at increased risk of infection * Previously treated with radiation on the face, head, or neck regions * Female patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of consent * Received a study drug in a clinical trial for an investigational drug within the previous 30 days from consent, or 5 half-lives, whichever is longer * Used antimicrobial wash or wipes within 7 days of randomisation or during the study period * Patients with allergies / hypersensitivity to methylene blue, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), or to chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)
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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
1 site. 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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Guy's Hospital
RECRUITINGLondon, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
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