Study aim
For many years, large surgical chest drains have been the standard treatment—but could a smaller, less invasive drain offer better outcomes?
Inclusion Criteria
- Patients presenting to hospital with a traumatic pneumothorax, haemothorax or haemopneumothorax (unilateral or bilateral)
- Confirmed on computed tomography (CT) up to 24 hours from presentation;
- Aged, or believed to be aged, 16 years and over
- In whom the treating clinician(s) are uncertain if a chest drain is required.
and
Exclusion Criteria
- Treating clinician(s) believe injuries are immediately incompatible with life, whereby the patients have no ongoing active management of other injuries or palliation is being undertaken
- Patient in cardiorespiratory arrest at the point of randomisation
- Retrospective paediatric exclusion if patient confirmed to be less than 16 years
Enrollment conflicts
- None
Step-by-step recruitment guide
Standard working hours (09:00 – 17:00)
1
Contact the ED Research Team when an eligible patient arrives in the ED — send a message via Epic chat to "ED Research Team" or phone 217907.
2
The ED Research Team will see the patient to arrange consent and randomisation.
Out of hours & weekends
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You must have completed specific training in order to be able to recruit patients. See the training pages.
Training link
1
Assess Eligibility and patient capacity
2
RANDOMISE - you need to log into Sealed Envelope to randomise the patient using the shared email and password
3
Document the smart phrase (COMITED2CONSENT) in the EPIC note
4
Fill in the paper work (if taking consent) and place in the Research Letterbox in Reception
Equipment & materials locations
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Research Letterbox in Reception
