Voriconazole pleural lavage for fungal empyema
Official title: Efficacy of Pleural Lavage With Antifungals in the Management of Fungal Empyema Thoracis: A Prospective Cohort Study
Run by University of Health Sciences Lahore · NCT07337993 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will try washing the infected pleural space with voriconazole in people of any age who have confirmed fungal empyema and are already receiving systemic antifungal therapy.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 50 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Health Sciences Lahore Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lahore, Punjab Province) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | March 31, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | January 13, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07337993 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Patients of any age with confirmed fungal empyema who have adequate chest tube drainage, are receiving systemic antifungal therapy, and are either scheduled for decortication or deemed unfit for surgery.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with bacterial-only empyema, known hypersensitivity to antifungals, severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C), or who are pregnant or breastfeeding are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a prospective cohort study at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Services Hospital Lahore, enrolling patients with fungal empyema confirmed by pleural fluid culture or cytology. Enrolled patients must have adequate pleural drainage through an intercostal chest tube and be on systemic antifungal therapy. The intervention is pleural lavage with voriconazole, used either as a preoperative adjunct before decortication or as a conservative measure for patients unfit for surgery. Outcomes will focus on pleural sterilization, clinical recovery, safety measures including hepatic tolerability, and the need for subsequent surgical intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, intrapleural voriconazole lavage could help sterilize the pleural space, control sepsis, reduce hospital stay, and lower the need for high-risk surgery in patients with fungal empyema.
How similar studies have gone: Intrapleural antifungal therapy is poorly studied and evidence is limited to case reports and small series that suggest possible benefit but no large controlled trials.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * All age patients with confirmed fungal empyema thoracis. * Patients with adequate pleural drainage through an intercostal chest tube. * Patients receiving systemic antifungal therapy. * Patients either: 1. scheduled for surgical decortication but undergoing lavage as a preoperative adjunct, or 2. considered unfit for surgery and managed conservatively. Exclusion Criteria: * Bacterial empyema without fungal growth. * Known hypersensitivity to anti-fungals. * Severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class C) contraindicating voriconazole. * Pregnancy or lactation. * Refusal to participate.
Where it's running
-
Services Hospital Lahore
Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Zeeshan Sarwar, MBBS
- Email: zeeshan.sarwar195@gmail.com
- Phone: +923214347410
Similar studies
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.