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) believe 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
✋
You must have completed specific training, and have signed the Study Delegation Log in order to be able to recruit patients. See the training pages.
Training link
1
Assess Eligibility and patient capacity:
* If the patient does not have capacity to consent, then a clinician who has completed Module 5 of training and has signed the Study Delegation Log plus one clinician who is not on the Delegation Log together can assess the patient for eligibility for the study, and enroll them if so.
* If the patient does have capacity to consent, then one clinician who has completed both module 5 and module 3 of Study training and is on the Study Delegation Log can enroll the patient, by themselves.
* If the patient does not have capacity to consent, then a clinician who has completed Module 5 of training and has signed the Study Delegation Log plus one clinician who is not on the Delegation Log together can assess the patient for eligibility for the study, and enroll them if so.
* If the patient does have capacity to consent, then one clinician who has completed both module 5 and module 3 of Study training and is on the Study Delegation Log can enroll the patient, by themselves.
2
RANDOMISE - you need to log into Sealed Envelope to randomise the patient using the shared email and password
(The details will be kept with the paperwork rack in the ambulance bay
(The details will be kept with the paperwork rack in the ambulance bay
3
Document using the smart phrase (COMITED2CONSENT) in the patient notes on Epic
4
Fill in the paper work (if taking consent) and place in the Research Letterbox in Reception
Equipment & materials locations
Ambulance bay
paperwork rack
Old reception
letterbox
Further information for staff:
Further information for patients: Websites
Further information for patients: Video for patients
Contacts
The EuReCa team work Mon–Fri, 09:00–17:00.