SPOTLight - Severn Pleural Disease Outcomes: Long Term Insights Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Severn Pleural Disease Outcomes: Long Term Insights Study
IRAS ID
319757
Contact name
Rahul Bhatnagar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research and Innovation - North Bristol NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
The pleural membranes are two thin layers of tissue covering the outside of the lungs, which are vulnerable to different diseases including:
1) Pleural effusions, where excess fluid accumulates in the space between the lung and the chest wall (the pleural space).
2) Pneumothorax, where the pleural space fills with air causing the lung to collapse.
3) Pleural cancer (mesothelioma) – this is usually associated with asbestos exposure.
4) Pleural thickening, where the lining around the lung becomes scarred, often because it has been inflamed in the past.All these conditions can cause breathlessness, which can be severe. Unfortunately, a general lack of research means there are many unanswered questions regarding how best to diagnose and manage pleural diseases. There is often no single test that can provide us with a diagnosis, and patients frequently need multiple procedures to diagnose their condition and manage symptoms.
We plan to create a new, long-term study to collect data on patients with pleural disease, to improve our understanding of how to diagnose and manage their condition, and the impact their disease and its management have on their quality of life.
We will invite every patient who attends Southmead hospital with a pleural condition to take part in a simple follow-up study. We will record data about participants’ health, and store small amounts of routinely collected blood, fluid & tissue for future laboratory tests. We will use these samples to apply more cutting-edge tests as they become available, which may improve our ability to diagnose the underlying cause of pleural disease. This study does not require any additional visits to hospital in addition to their routine care. We will also ask patients to fill out brief questionnaires at enrolment, 4 months and 12 months after enrolling about how they are affected by their condition.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
23/WA/0018
Date of REC Opinion
24 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion