PLUMB

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Pneumothorax after Lung Biopsy: Understanding the Management Basis

• IRAS ID

  331451

• Contact name

  Robert Hallifax

• Contact email

  Robert.Hallifax@ndm.ox.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Oxford/Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Aim:
  The PLUMB study aims to understand the treatment of patients with a collapsed lung after lung biopsy and the reasons for treating these patients with a chest drain.

  Background:
  A collapsed lung, known as pneumothorax, is a collection of air between the lung and chest wall due to a hole in the lung. Pneumothorax can occur due to a variety of causes. It is the most common complication after lung biopsy, affecting around 26-60% of patients. However, there is limited data on the management of pneumothorax after lung biopsy. As a result, there is a significant variability in practice among the UK physicians, and patients receive different treatments without good evidence. Around 3-15% of patients who develop pneumothorax after lung biopsy are treated with a chest drain which is a small plastic tube placed between the lung and chest wall to drain the pneumothorax. Chest drain is painful, requires prolonged hospitalisation and significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. Hence, this treatment should be based on robust evidence to avoid unnecessary harm to patients but currently the available evidence is limited. PLUMB study will explore the common reasons that guide physicians in treating patients with pneumothorax after lung biopsy, especially with a chest drain.

  Design and methods:
  This study will recruit patients from 20 UK centres over an 8-month recruitment period. Data will be collected from patient records at the time of occurrence of pneumothorax after lung biopsy with a follow-up at 1 month. Additionally, interviews will be conducted with 15-20 physicians involved in the study to understand the decision-making in managing pneumothorax after lung biopsy.

• REC name

  HSC REC B

• REC reference

  24/NI/0111

• Date of REC Opinion

  9 Sep 2024

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion