Actively Recruiting
Exploring if Patients Can Safely and Easily Swab Their Own Surgical Wounds at Home
Led by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust · Updated on 2026-01-09
40
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
3 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
G
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Lead Sponsor
U
University of Nottingham
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The goal of this observational feasibility study is to learn if patients can safely, acceptably, and effectively collect their own wound swabs at home to detect clinically significant organisms in adults aged 18 and over who have had cardiac surgery via median sternotomy (central chest wound). Participants will be recruited from two sites: Harefield Hospital (Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London) and the Royal Sussex County Hospital (University Hospitals Sussex, Brighton). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can home-based patient self-swabbing of surgical wounds provide swabs of sufficient quality for microbiological testing? * Is self-swabbing at home safe and acceptable to patients following cardiac surgery? * Could this approach be a cost-effective way to monitor for surgical wound infections? Participants will: * Receive a co-designed self-swabbing instruction pack, created in collaboration with a patient and public working group and clinical experts. * Be observed via Microsoft Teams by a research practitioner while self-swabbing (or having their carer do so) to assess usability and adherence to instructions. * Participate in a brief interview to share their experiences and feedback on the instructions and swabbing process. * Send completed swabs to the hospital laboratory for analysis to determine the usability and timeliness of the samples.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Exploring if Patients Can Safely and Easily Swab Their Own Surgical Wounds at Home
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adults aged 18 years or older who have had cardiac surgery with a closed central chest wound
- Patients who have had elective or urgent surgery
- Patients discharged home or to a care home
- Willing and able to provide written informed consent before participating
- Willing and able to follow all study procedures, with or without internet access
You will not qualify if you...
- Patients with open wounds beyond skin level, visible deep tissue/organs/implants, or heavy wound discharge at the time of video consultation
- Patients who had emergency or salvage surgery
- Patients still hospitalized
- Patients with a dressing covering their wound during the video consultation
- Patients with congenital or acquired immune deficiencies, bone marrow disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions needing immunosuppressive treatment, or recent immunosuppressive medication use
- Patients undergoing or recently completed cancer treatment within 4 weeks before consent
- Patients unable to provide informed consent
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
Royal Sussex County Hospital
Brighton, United Kingdom, BN2 5BE
Not Yet Recruiting
2
Harefield Hospital
Harefield, United Kingdom, UB9 6JH
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
M
Melissa Rochon
CONTACT
J
Judith Tanner
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
PREVENTION
Number of Arms
1
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