Talc pleurodesis through indwelling pleural catheters for malignant pleural effusions: retrospective case series of a novel clinical pathway.

Abstract

Malignant pleural effusions cause significant morbidity, but there is no gold standard minimally invasive treatment. A new therapeutic approach combines talc pleurodesis and indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) to enable outpatient management. This case series summarizes the safety and efficacy data of all patients (24) with a symptomatic malignant pleural effusion who underwent talc pleurodeses via IPCs between December 2010 and July 2013. Successful pleurodesis was achieved in 22 procedures (92%). There was one empyema, one hydropneumothorax, one recurrent effusion, and two minor complications: one drain site wound infection and one complaint of chest pain. Twenty-two procedures (92%) were performed in the outpatient setting. This report confirms the safety and efficacy of administering talc slurry through IPCs in an outpatient setting. Studies in a larger cohort are necessary to define the role of this novel approach in the treatment algorithm of patients with this condition.

• Authors: Liju Ahmed, Hugh Ip, Deepak Rao, Nishil Patel, Farinaz Noorzad
• Journal: Chest (Chest) Vol. 146 Issue 6 Pg. e190-e194 (Dec 2014) ISSN: 1931-3543 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25451360 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Talc

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Ambulatory Care (methods)
• Catheters, Indwelling
• Cohort Studies
• Critical Pathways
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Patient Safety
• Pleural Effusion, Malignant (diagnosis, mortality, therapy)
• Pleurodesis (methods)
• Radiography, Thoracic (methods)
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Assessment
• Severity of Illness Index
• Survival Rate
• Talc (therapeutic use)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed (methods)
• Treatment Outcome