Early Lumbar Drainage for Intraventricular Hemorrhage (LD-IVH)

September 1, 2026 updated by: Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University

Effectiveness and Safety of Early Lumbar Drainage in the Treatment of Ventricular Hemorrhage: the LD-IVH Randomized Controlled Trial

This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE) trial in Chinese patients with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), comparing early lumbar drainage added to standard care with standard care alone. The primary objective is to evaluate whether, in patients treated with external ventricular drainage (EVD) and intrathecal urokinase, the addition of early lumbar drainage improves functional outcomes at 180 days, as measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and reduces complications.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a life-threatening complication of acute stroke, associated with high rates of mortality and severe disability, fewer than 20% of survivors achieve favorable functional outcomes. Despite the widespread use of external ventricular drainage (EVD) and intraventricular thrombolysis, the role of early lumbar drainage in improving outcomes remains controversial, with limited high-level evidence from randomized controlled trials.

The LD-IVH study will use a 1:1 stratified block randomization design, with stratification by intraparenchymal hematoma and hospital. Eligible patients will be randomized to receive either (1) control group treatment: standard EVD plus daily intrathecal urokinase (30,000 IU) for 3 consecutive days, with a maximum treatment duration of 5 days; or (2) intervention group treatment: the same EVD and intrathecal urokinase regimen as the control group, with early lumbar drainage additionally initiated within 72 hours of onset. CSF was drained at a rate of ≤8 mL/h, with a daily maximum volume of 200 mL, to keep intracranial pressure stable.

The primary endpoint will be the proportion of patients with a favorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 0-3) at 180 days. A total of 392 patients will be enrolled, and an interim efficacy analysis is planned after 50% of participants complete the 180-day follow-up.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
392

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
      • Changde, China
        • Changde First People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Dezhou, China
      • Dezhou, China
      • Ganzhou, China
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University
        • Contact:
          • The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University
          • Email: zzbbchina@126.com
      • Ganzhou, China
      • Ganzhou, China
        • Ruijin People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Guiyang, China
        • The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
        • Contact:
          • The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
          • Email: yhmed@163.com
      • Hangzhou, China
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University school of medicine
        • Contact:
          • The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of
          • Email: gujun66@163.com
      • Hefei, China
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University
        • Contact:
      • Jingdezhen, China
        • Jingdezhen Second People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Jiujiang, China
        • Jiujiang First People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Jiujiang, China
        • The First People's Hospital of Xiushui County
        • Contact:
      • Ji’an, China
        • Ji'an Central People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Lanzhou, China
        • The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University
        • Contact:
      • Linyi, China
      • Luzhou, China
        • The Affiliated hospital of Southwest Medical University
        • Contact:
          • The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
          • Email: yhmed@163.com
      • Nanchang, China
        • Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
        • Contact:
      • Nanchang, China
        • Nanchang Central Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Panzhihua, China
      • Shiyan, China
      • Suzhou, China
        • The 904th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army
        • Contact:
      • Wenzhou, China
        • The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University
        • Contact:
      • Yichang, China
        • Yichang Central People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Yichun, China
        • Zhangshu People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Yingtan, China
        • Yingtan People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Zhangjiagang, China
        • Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Zhoukou, China
        • Zhoukou Central Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Zunyi, China
        • Zunyi First People's Hospital
        • Contact:
    • Jiangxi
      • Fuzhou, Jiangxi, China
    • Shandong
      • Jinan, Shandong, China
    • Zhejiang
      • Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
        • Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Aged 18-85 years, of either sex.
  2. First-ever intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) with CT-confirmed hemorrhage involving the third and/or fourth ventricle, and scheduled to undergo or already having undergone burr-hole ventricular drainage.
  3. Intraparenchymal hemorrhage volume <30 mL on admission CT, with stable neurological status and no progressive deterioration before randomization.
  4. Randomization completed within 72 hours of symptom onset.
  5. Pre-onset modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 (no symptoms) or 1 (minor symptoms not interfering with daily activities).
  6. Written informed consent obtained from the participant or a legal guardian.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Secondary intracerebral hemorrhage, including imaging-confirmed untreated intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM), ruptured intracranial aneurysm, moyamoya disease, or intracranial tumor.
  2. Long-term use of anticoagulant medication, persistent coagulopathy, or known allergy to urokinase.
  3. Prothrombin time (PT) or activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) prolonged to more than twice the upper limit of normal.
  4. Absolute contraindications to lumbar or external ventricular drainage (e.g., cerebral herniation, infection at the puncture site).
  5. Infratentorial hemorrhage with a volume ≥10 mL.
  6. Thalamic hemorrhage with a volume ≥10 mL, or accompanied by obvious extension into the midbrain, oculomotor nerve palsy, or fixed and dilated non-reactive pupils.
  7. Unilateral limb paralysis (muscle strength grade 0 or 1) before randomization.
  8. Active bleeding from other sites, including the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or respiratory tracts.
  9. Multiple superficial ecchymoses, purpura, or other signs suggesting bleeding or a bleeding tendency.
  10. Expected survival of less than 6 months due to other causes.
  11. Other coexisting severe diseases that are difficult to treat.
  12. Pregnancy.
  13. Participation in another interventional clinical trial within 30 days before randomization.
  14. Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the participant unsuitable for the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Control Group (EVD + Intrathecal Urokinase)
Patients received external ventricular drainage (EVD) combined with intrathecal urokinase injection. Urokinase was administered as a single daily dose of 30,000 IU for 3 consecutive days. A follow-up cranial CT was then performed to assess ventricular obstruction and hematoma clearance, which guided the decision on whether to continue thrombolysis. The maximum total duration of urokinase treatment did not exceed 5 days. Thrombolysis was discontinued when CT demonstrated clearance of the third/fourth ventricular cast, relief of mass effect, or a hematoma clearance rate of ≥80%.
Procedure: Control treatment schedule
Patients receive external ventricular drainage (EVD) combined with intrathecal urokinase injection. Urokinase is administered as a single daily dose of 30,000 IU for 3 consecutive days, and the maximum duration of urokinase treatment does not exceed 5 days. Thrombolysis is discontinued when cranial CT demonstrates clearance of the third/fourth ventricular cast, relief of mass effect, or a hematoma clearance rate of ≥80%.
Experimental: Intervention Group (Control Treatment + Lumbar Drainage)
In addition to the same EVD and intrathecal urokinase regimen as the control group, early lumbar drainage was initiated within 72 hours of onset. The CSF drainage rate was maintained below 8 mL/h, and the daily total drainage volume did not exceed 200 mL to maintain stable intracranial pressure.
Procedure: Control treatment plus lumbar drainage
Early lumbar cistern drainage was initiated within 72 hours of onset. The CSF drainage rate was maintained below 8 mL/h, and the daily total drainage volume did not exceed 200 mL to maintain stable intracranial pressure.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of participants with mRS score 0-3 at 180 days after onset
Time Frame: 180 days after disease onset
Percentage of patients with modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 3 at 180-day follow-up.
180 days after disease onset

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of participants with mRS 0-3 at 90 days after onset
Time Frame: 90 days after onset
Percentage of patients with a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 3 at the 90-day follow-up.
90 days after onset
Proportion of participants with GOS score 4-5 at 180 days after onset
Time Frame: 180 days after onset
Percentage of patients with a Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score of 4 or 5 at the 180-day follow-up.
180 days after onset
Proportion of participants with mRS 0-2 at 90 days and 180 days
Time Frame: 90 and 180 days after disease onset
Percentage of patients with a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 at the 90- and 180-day follow-up.
90 and 180 days after disease onset
Change in ordinal mRS score from baseline to 180 days after onset
Time Frame: Baseline to 180 days after disease onset
Change in the ordinal modified Rankin Scale score between baseline and the 180-day follow-up.
Baseline to 180 days after disease onset
EQ-5D score at 180 days after onset
Time Frame: 180 days after disease onset
Health-related quality of life measured by the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire at the 180-day follow-up.
180 days after disease onset
Proportion of participants with Barthel Index score 75-100 at 180 days after onset
Time Frame: 180 days after disease onset
Percentage of patients with a Barthel Index score of 75 to 100 at the 180-day follow-up.
180 days after disease onset
Proportion of participants with shunt-dependent hydrocephalus before discharge and at 180 days after onset
Time Frame: Before hospital discharge and 180 days after disease onset
Percentage of patients requiring permanent cerebrospinal fluid shunting for hydrocephalus before hospital discharge and at the 180-day follow-up.
Before hospital discharge and 180 days after disease onset
Daily CSF drainage volume before catheter removal
Time Frame: During the drainage period before catheter removal
Daily volume of cerebrospinal fluid drained (mL/day) from the external ventricular drain and lumbar drain before removal of the drainage catheters.
During the drainage period before catheter removal
Proportion of participants with resolution of third and/or fourth ventricular obstruction
Time Frame: Within 14 days after enrollment or before hospital discharge
Percentage of patients with resolution of third and/or fourth ventricular obstruction on cranial CT within 14 days after enrollment or before hospital discharge.
Within 14 days after enrollment or before hospital discharge
Dynamic intracranial hemorrhage clearance rate before catheter removal
Time Frame: Before removal of the external ventricular and lumbar drainage catheters
Serial (dynamic) rate of intracranial hemorrhage clearance on cranial CT before removal of the external ventricular and lumbar drainage catheters.
Before removal of the external ventricular and lumbar drainage catheters
Length of hospital stay
Time Frame: From admission to hospital discharge
Total duration of hospitalization (days).
From admission to hospital discharge
Length of NICU stay
Time Frame: From NICU admission to NICU discharge
Total duration of stay in the intensive care unit (days).
From NICU admission to NICU discharge
Total hospitalization costs
Time Frame: From admission to hospital discharge
Total medical costs incurred during hospitalization, in RMB.
From admission to hospital discharge

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
All-cause mortality at 180 days after onset
Time Frame: 180 days after disease onset
Percentage of patients who died from any cause by the 180-day follow-up.
180 days after disease onset
Proportion of participants with intracranial infection
Time Frame: From enrollment through hospital discharge
Percentage of patients who developed intracranial infection during the study period.
From enrollment through hospital discharge
Proportion of participants with cerebral herniation
Time Frame: From enrollment through hospital discharge
Percentage of patients who developed cerebral herniation.
From enrollment through hospital discharge
Proportion of participants with symptomatic rebleeding within 72 hours after catheter placement or thrombolysis
Time Frame: Within 72 hours after catheter placement or thrombolysis
Percentage of patients with symptomatic intracranial rebleeding within 72 hours after catheter placement or intrathecal thrombolysis.
Within 72 hours after catheter placement or thrombolysis
Proportion of participants with other serious adverse events
Time Frame: From enrollment through the 180-day follow-up
Percentage of patients who experienced other serious adverse events during the study period.
From enrollment through the 180-day follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Shigang Lv, MD, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
  • Principal Investigator: Miaojing Wu, MD, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
  • Principal Investigator: Zeguang Ren, Prof, Methodist Houston Sugar Land Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 1, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • LD-IVH-2026-001
  • ChiCTR2600123877 (Registry Identifier: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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