Ultrasound-guided pigtail catheters for drainage of various pleural diseases.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Little is known about the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided pigtail catheters for the management of various pleural diseases in the emergency department, ward, and intensive care unit.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective study in a university hospital during a 1-year interval.

RESULTS:

A total of 276 patients (178 men and 98 women) underwent 332 pigtail catheters (the drain size ranged from 10F to 16F) under ultrasound guidance. The mean ± SEM patient age was 59 ± 18 years, and mean duration of drainage was 6.1 ± 2 days. A total of 64 drains (19.2%) were inserted for pneumothoraces; 98 drains (29.5%), for malignant effusions; 119 drains (35.8%), for parapneumonic effusions/empyemas; and 38 drains (11.4%), for massive transudate pleural effusions. The overall success rate was 72.9%. The success rate was highest when the drain was used to treat massive transudate effusions (81.6%) and malignant pleural effusions (75.5%), followed by parapneumonic effusions/empyemas (72.2%), hemothoraces (66.6%), and pneumothoraces (64.0%). Only 10 (3.0%) drains had complications due to the procedure, including infection (n = 4, 1.2%), dislodgment (n = 4, 1.2%), wound bleeding at the pigtail catheter puncture area complicated with hemothoraces (n = 1, 0.3%), and lung puncture (n = 1, 0.3%). There was no significant difference in success rate when different catheter sizes were used to treat pleural diseases.

CONCLUSIONS:

Ultrasound-guided pigtail catheters provide a safe and effective method of draining various pleural diseases. We strongly suggest that ultrasound-guided pigtail catheters be considered as the initial draining method for a variety of pleural diseases.

• Authors: Yi-Heng Liu, Yu-Chao Lin, Shinn-Jye Liang, Chih-Yen Tu, Chia-Hung Chen, Hung-Jen Chen, Wei Chen, Chuen-Ming Shih, Wu-Huei Hsu
• Journal: The American journal of emergency medicine (Am J Emerg Med) Vol. 28 Issue 8 Pg. 915-21 (Oct 2010) ISSN: 1532-8171 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20825924 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Catheterization (adverse effects, instrumentation)
• Drainage (adverse effects, instrumentation)
• Empyema, Pleural (therapy)
• Female
• Hemothorax (therapy)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pleural Diseases (therapy)
• Pleural Effusion (therapy)
• Pleural Effusion, Malignant (therapy)
• Pneumothorax (therapy)
• Retrospective Studies
• Ultrasonography (instrumentation)
• Young Adult