NCT07247461

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate if early drainage of lung abscesses, in addition to standard antibiotic treatment, leads to shorter length of hospital stay. Study Design This is a randomized, controlled clinical trial. That means participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

  • Fill out two short health questionnaires at the start and during follow-up.
  • Have relevant medical history collected from their hospital records.
  • Undergo routine scans (CT), blood tests, and lung assessments as part of standard care.
  • A cheek swab will be taken from all participants to study mouth bacteria.. For those receiving drainage the pus from the lung abscess will be collected for microbiological analysis. Microbiology samples will be stored in a research biobank and destroyed after analysis. Follow-up after discharge
  • 1 week: A phone call to check symptoms and infection levels via a blood test.
  • 4 and 12 weeks later: In-person checkups at the lung clinic, including:
  • 6-minute walk test
  • Lung function test
  • Repeat health questionnaires
  • CT scan
  • Blood tests (up to 20 ml in total over the study)
  • 1 years: Medical records are reviewed to asses morbidity and mortality. Participants The study will include 84 adult patients who are hospitalized with a lung abscess larger than 4 cm, located near the outer part of the lung. Inclusion will take place at five university hospitals in Denmark Why This Study Matters There are no official guidelines for treating lung abscesses, and research is limited. This study could offer vital new insights that help update treatment recommendations in Denmark and internationally. Because all five Danish regions are involved, the results could quickly be implemented into daily practice, improving care for future patients with this serious condition.

Trial Health

65
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
84

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable

Timeline
28mo left

Started Jan 2026

Typical duration for not_applicable

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress11%
Jan 2026Aug 2028

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

October 1, 2025

Completed
2 months until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

November 25, 2025

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 2026

Completed
2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 1, 2028

Expected
8 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 30, 2028

Last Updated

November 25, 2025

Status Verified

September 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

2 years

First QC Date

October 1, 2025

Last Update Submit

November 21, 2025

Conditions

Lung Abscess

Keywords

Lung AbscessTransthoracic drainageLength of hospital stayRandomized trial

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Length of hospital stay

    Primary outcome is length of hospital stay from admission to discharge measured in days.

    From the patient is admitted to the hospital (day one) to the patient is discharged

Study Arms (2)

Transthoracic drainage

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Patients in this arm will receive a Transthoracic drainage in their lung abscess in combination with standard treatment with IV antibiotics

Procedure: Transthoracic drainage

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Patients in this arm will receive standard treatment will IV antibiotics

Interventions

Transthoracic drainagePROCEDURE

Patients randomized to the intervention arm will receive a Transthoracic drain in their lung abscess.

Transthoracic drainage

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Age \>18 years.
  • Signed informed consent.
  • CT scan compatible with LA (one or more cavitating lesions with liquid content).
  • Clinical findings suggestive of ongoing infection.
  • Lung abscess size ≥ 4 cm in diameter.
  • Imaging indicates that the abscess contains fluid.
  • The abscess involves the outer one-third of the lung.

You may not qualify if:

  • Brest feeding.
  • Predicted survival of less than 3 months.
  • Known tuberculosis or non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis.
  • Known chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.
  • Patients with a primary suspicion of lung cancer
  • Recent (\<3 months) contact with health facilities outside Scandinavia.
  • Patients in whom anticoagulant treatment cannot be discontinued, or in whom the treatment pause does not allow drainage within 72 hours.
  • Coagulopathy or other increased bleeding risk that cannot be corrected to allow drainage within 72 hours.
  • Hemodynamic and/or respiratory unstable patient.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lung Abscess

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Respiratory Tract InfectionsInfectionsAbscessSuppurationLung DiseasesRespiratory Tract Diseases

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

October 1, 2025

First Posted

November 25, 2025

Study Start

January 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 30, 2028

Last Updated

November 25, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09