Comparative Study between Different Agents Used in Chemical Pleurodesis

Abstract

Background: Pleurodesis is a medical technique used to eliminate the gap among the parietal and visceral pleura in order to avoid the reoccurrence of pleural effusion or pneumothorax. This method involves the introduction of a chemical substance into the pleural space,  which leads to the scarring and  adhesion of the membranes.

Objective: The objective of this research was to evaluate the outcomes of medical pleurodesis utilizing three distinct  agents and two  delivery routes.

Patients and Methods: Our university hospital treated 135 individuals who had recurrent malignant and benign pleural  effusions with pleurodesis by employing three distinct chemical agents: povidone-iodine solution, bleomycin ampoules,  and fresh frozen  plasma (FFP), administered by two different methods, namely chest tube and small-bore pigtail catheter.

Results: All patients were  dyspneic. Seventy were men; their ages varied from 45 to 76. Chest tubes were used for  effusion drainage and sclerosing agent  instillation in eighty-seven individuals (64.45 percent), whereas pigtail catheters  were used in forty-eight individuals (35.55). With 83  cases of malignant effusion and 52 cases of non-malignant  effusion, 60 cases were treated with bleomycin, 30 with fresh frozen plasma  (FFP), and 45 with povidone-iodine.  Sclerosing agent type was associated with a change in overall success rate.

Conclusion: FFP is a good  alternative sclerosing agent to bleomycin and it is safe, available and less costy.