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Monaldi Archives For Chest Disease =... Apr 2024Persistent air leaks in patients with pneumothorax can lead to significant morbidity. If a patient with persistent air leak is medically unfit for thoracic surgery,...
Persistent air leaks in patients with pneumothorax can lead to significant morbidity. If a patient with persistent air leak is medically unfit for thoracic surgery, medical pleurodesis via chest tube or thoracoscopy is either an option. Thoracoscopy offers the advantage of visualizing the site of the air leak and enabling direct instillation of the pleurodesis agent or glue at that location. Autologous blood patch instillation via chest tube has been reported to be a cheap and very effective technique for the management of persistent air leaks. However, thoracoscopic blood patch instillation has not been reported in the literature. We report two cases of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in which patients had persistent air leaks for more than seven days and were subjected to thoracoscopy to locate the site of the leak. In the same sitting, 50 mL of autologous blood patch was instilled directly at the leak site. Post-procedure, the air leak subsided in both patients, and the chest tube was removed with complete lung expansion. We also conducted a systematic review of the use of medical thoracoscopic interventions for treating persistent air leaks.
PubMed: 38656320
DOI: 10.4081/monaldi.2024.2994 -
Cureus Mar 2023Persistent air leaks (PALs) are associated with prolonged hospital stays, contamination and sustained infection of the pleural space, and significant morbidity. A... (Review)
Review
Persistent air leaks (PALs) are associated with prolonged hospital stays, contamination and sustained infection of the pleural space, and significant morbidity. A fistulous tract between the alveoli and the pleural space is referred to as an alveolar-pleural fistula (APF), whereas a fistulous tract between the bronchiole and the pleural space is referred to as a bronchopleural fistula (BPF). There is no consensus on the treatment, and multiple modalities exist for the management of persistent air leak (PAL). Autologous blood patch (ABP) is a relatively safe and inexpensive method that has been used for many years for the treatment of PALs. We conducted an electronic database search between 08/24/2022 and 08/27/2022 in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane using keywords. The following keywords were used: "Blood patch" OR "Autologous blood patch" AND "pleurodesis." Our study included all original studies with the prime focus on the etiology of PALs, clinical characteristics, procedural details of ABP, and outcomes of the proposed treatment. The primary outcomes that were the focus of our study were the time to seal the air leak, the time to remove the chest tube after air leak cessation, and the time to discharge from the hospital. To determine the safety of ABP, we also evaluated the procedural outcomes. Our findings suggest a statistically significant decrease in the time to air leak cessation when compared to the control group (mean difference of -3.75 {95% CI: -5.65 to -1.85; P=0.001}) with considerable heterogeneity of I=85% and P=0.001. However, the difference was not statistically significant when a lower dose of ABP (50 mL) was compared to a higher dose (100 mL) (mean difference of 1.48 {95% CI: -0.07 to 3.02; P=0.06}) and considerable heterogeneity of I=80% and P=0.03. There was no statistically significant difference in the time to discharge when compared to the control group (mean difference of -2.12 {95% CI: -4.83 to 0.59; P=0.13}) and considerable heterogeneity (I=95% and P<0.001). When compared to the control group, ABP did not provide any statistically significant difference in the risk ratio for infection (1.18 {95% CI: 0.52 to 2.65; P=0.70} and moderate heterogeneity {I=33% and P=0.20}), pain (1.18 {95% CI: 0.52 to 2.65; P=0.70} and moderate heterogeneity {I=33% and P=0.20}), and fever (0.54 {95% CI: 0.27 to 1.10; P=0.09} and no heterogeneity {I=0% and P=0.50}). Our study concludes that using ABP caused a statistically significant decrease in the time to air leak cessation when compared to the control group. However, the procedure does not provide a statistically significant difference in the time to discharge from the hospital when compared to conservative treatment. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk ratio for complications such as infection, pain, and fever when compared to conservative management. More studies need to be conducted to fully understand the efficacy and safety of ABP in the management of PALs.
PubMed: 37090364
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.36466 -
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery Apr 2023Surgical approach is the most effective treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The two most widely adopted surgical methods are mechanical abrasion and apical... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Surgical approach is the most effective treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The two most widely adopted surgical methods are mechanical abrasion and apical pleurectomy, in addition to bullectomy. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine which technique is superior in treating primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
METHODS
PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies published between January 2000 to September 2022 comparing mechanical abrasion and apical pleurectomy for treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The primary outcome was pneumothorax recurrence. Secondary outcomes included post-operative chest tube duration, hospital length of stay, operative time and intra-operative of blood loss.
RESULTS
Eight studies were eligible for inclusion involving 1,613 patients. There was no difference in the rate of pneumothorax recurrence between pleural abrasion and pleurectomy (RR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.92). However, pleural abrasion led to shorter hospital length of stay (MD: -0.25; 95% CI: -0.51 to 0.00), post-operative chest tube duration (MD: -0.30; 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.03), operative time (MD: -13.00; 95% CI -15.07 to 10.92) and less surgical blood loss (MD: -17.77; 95% CI: -24.36 to -11.18).
CONCLUSION
Pleural abrasion leads to less perioperative patient burden and shorter hospital length of stay without compromising the rate of pneumothorax recurrence when compared to pleurectomy. Thus, pleural abrasion is a reasonable first choice surgical procedure for management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
Topics: Humans; Pneumothorax; Pleura; Pleurodesis; Recurrence; Thoracic Surgical Procedures; Treatment Outcome; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted
PubMed: 37024894
DOI: 10.1186/s13019-023-02207-3 -
Annals of Thoracic and Cardiovascular... Dec 2022The best treatment strategy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax is controversial and varies widely in practice. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
The best treatment strategy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax is controversial and varies widely in practice.
METHODS
Literatures were searched from databases till 24 August 2021. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted to compare the outcomes of various treatments with the following endpoints: recurrence rate, postoperative chest tube duration, postoperative air leakage duration, length of hospital stay, and complications rate.
RESULTS
In all, 7210 patients of 20 randomized controlled trials and 17 cohort studies were included. Surgery had a significantly lower recurrence rate compared to other treatments. Besides, bullectomy (BT) combined with chemical pleurodesis (CP), mechanical pleurodesis, or staple line coverage (SLC) can reduce the recurrence rate compared to BT alone, but none of them were statistically significant. In terms of reducing chest tube duration, BT with tubular Neoveil outperformed BT + pleural abrasion (mean difference [MD], 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.5 [-4.63, -0.35]) and BT + apical pleurectomy (MD, 95% CI: -2.72 [-5.16, -0.27]).
CONCLUSIONS
Surgical methods were superior to manual aspiration (MA), chest tube drainage (CTD), and conservative treatment in terms of recurrence reduction. There was no significant difference between MA and CTD in reducing the recurrence rate. Among surgical methods, CP is more effective than mechanical pleurodesis and SLC among the additional procedures based on BT.
Topics: Humans; Pneumothorax; Network Meta-Analysis; Bayes Theorem; Treatment Outcome; Recurrence; Pleurodesis; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted
PubMed: 36002271
DOI: 10.5761/atcs.oa.22-00113 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2022The staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC), a commercially available bio-product from (), has been widely used to control MPE.
INTRODUCTION
The staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC), a commercially available bio-product from (), has been widely used to control MPE.
OBJECTIVES
We designed and performed a new systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis to clarify the perfusion protocols with SEC, determine their clinical effectiveness and safety, and reveal the indication and optimum usage for achieving the desired responses.
METHODOLOGY
All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about SEC for MPE were collected from electronic databases (from inception until July 2021), and clustered into multiple logical topics. grading of recommendation assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) approach.
RESULTS
All 114 were clustered into SEC alone or plus chemical agents. The SEC alone showed a better complete response (CR), a lower pleurodesis failure, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and a higher fever than cisplatin (DDP) alone. The SEC and chemical agents developed 10 perfusion protocols. . The SEC (100-200 ng per time, one time a week for one to four times) with DDP (30-40 mg, or 50-60 mg each time) significantly improved clinical responses for patients with moderate to large volume, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores ≥40, ≥50, or ≥60, and anticipated survival time (AST) ≥2 or 3 months. Most results were moderate to low quality.
CONCLUSION
Current pieces of evidence indicate that super-antigen SEC is a pleurodesis agent, which provides an attractive alternative to existing palliative modalities for patients with MPE. Among 10 protocols, the SEC and DDP perfusion is a most commonly used, which shows a significant improvement in clinical responses with low ADRs. These findings also a possible indication and optimal usage for SEC and DDP perfusion.
PubMed: 35547209
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.816973 -
Thoracic Cancer Apr 2022Breast and ovarian cancer account for over 30% of malignant pleural effusions (MPEs). Treatment of the metastatic disease requires control of the MPE. Even though... (Review)
Review
Hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy for the treatment of malignant pleural effusion caused by breast and ovarian cancer: A systematic literature review and pooled analysis.
OBJECTIVES
Breast and ovarian cancer account for over 30% of malignant pleural effusions (MPEs). Treatment of the metastatic disease requires control of the MPE. Even though primarily symptomatic, the treatment of the MPE can potentially affect the oncological course of the disease. The aim of this review is to analyze the effectiveness of intrathoracic chemotherapy in the treatment of MPE caused by breast and ovarian cancer.
METHODS
A systematic literature research was conducted up until May 2021. Studies published in English on patients undergoing either surgical or interventional intrapleural chemotherapy were included.
RESULTS
Thirteen studies with a total of 497 patients were included. Analysis was performed on 169 patients with MPE due to breast cancer and eight patients with MPE secondary to ovarian cancer. The pooled success rates of intrathoracic chemotherapy for controlling the MPE were 59.1% and 87.5%, respectively. A survival analysis was not possible with the available data. The overall toxicity of the treatment was low.
CONCLUSIONS
Intrathoracic chemotherapy achieves symptomatic control of the MPE in 59.1% of patients with metastatic breast cancer and 87.5% of patients with metastatic ovarian cancer. This is inferior to other forms of surgical pleurodesis. Data from small case series and studies on intraperitoneal chemotherapy show promising results. However, formal oncological studies on the use of intrathoracic chemotherapy for metastatic breast or ovarian cancer are lacking. Further prospective pilot studies are needed to assess the therapeutic oncological effects of this treatment.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced; Ovarian Neoplasms; Pleural Effusion, Malignant; Pleurodesis
PubMed: 35194945
DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14361 -
Respiration; International Review of... 2022Congenital chylothorax (CCT) of the newborn is a rare entity but the most common cause of pleural effusion in this age-group. We aimed to find the optimal treatment...
BACKGROUND
Congenital chylothorax (CCT) of the newborn is a rare entity but the most common cause of pleural effusion in this age-group. We aimed to find the optimal treatment strategy.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A PubMed search was performed according to the PRISMA criteria. All cases were analyzed according to prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal treatment modalities and follow-ups.
RESULTS
We identified 753 cases from 157 studies published between 1990 and 2018. The all-cause mortality rate was 28%. Prematurity was present in 71%, male gender dominated 57%, mean gestational age was 34 weeks, and birth weight was 2,654 g. Seventy-nine percent of newborns had bilateral CCT, the most common associated congenital anomalies with CCT were pulmonary lymphangiectasia and pulmonary hypoplasia, and the most common chromosomal aberrations were Down, Noonan, and Turner syndromes, respectively. Mechanical ventilation was reported in 381 cases for mean 17 (range 1-120) days; pleural punctuations and drainages were performed in 32% and 64%, respectively. Forty-four percent received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for mean 21 days, 46% medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) diet for mean 37 days, 20% octreotide, and 3% somatostatin; chemical pleurodesis was performed in 116 cases, and surgery was reported in 48 cases with a success rate of 69%. In 462 cases (68%), complete restitution was reported; in 34 of 44 cases (77%), intrauterine intervention was carried out.
CONCLUSION
Respiratory support, pleural drainages, TPN, and MCT diet as octreotide remain to be the cornerstones of CCT management. Pleurodesis with OK-432 done prenatally and povidone-iodine postnatally might be discussed for use in life-threatening CCT.
Topics: Chylothorax; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Octreotide; Pleural Effusion; Pleurodesis
PubMed: 34515211
DOI: 10.1159/000518217 -
Thoracic Cancer Oct 2021Postoperative air leaks are a common complication after lung surgery. They are associated with prolonged hospital stay, increased postoperative pain and treatment costs.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Postoperative air leaks are a common complication after lung surgery. They are associated with prolonged hospital stay, increased postoperative pain and treatment costs. The treatment of prolonged air leaks remains controversial. Several treatments have been proposed including different types of sealants, chemical pleurodesis, or early surgical intervention. The aim of this review was to analyze the impact of autologous blood pleurodesis in a systematic way.
METHODS
A systematic review of the literature was conducted until July 2020. Studies with more than five adult patients undergoing lung resections were included. Studies in patients receiving blood pleurodesis for pneumothorax were excluded. The search strategy included proper combinations of the MeSH terms "air leak", "blood transfusion" and "lung surgery".
RESULTS
Ten studies with a total of 198 patients were included in the analysis. The pooled success rate for sealing the air leak within 48 h of the blood pleurodesis was 83.7% (95% CI: 75.7; 90.3). The pooled incidence of the post-interventional empyema was 1.5%, with a pooled incidence of post-interventional fever of 8.6%.
CONCLUSIONS
Current evidence supports the idea that autologous blood pleurodesis leads to a faster healing of postoperative air leaks than conservative treatment. The complication rate is very low. Formal recommendations on how to perform the procedure are not possible with the current evidence. A randomized controlled trial in the modern era is necessary to confirm the benefits.
Topics: Blood Transfusion, Autologous; Humans; Pleurodesis; Pneumothorax; Postoperative Complications; Thoracic Surgical Procedures
PubMed: 34477307
DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14138 -
Pleura and Peritoneum Mar 2021Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common condition that presents with progressive breathlessness. Long term solutions are often required due to recurrence of... (Review)
Review
Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common condition that presents with progressive breathlessness. Long term solutions are often required due to recurrence of effusion after simple drainage. Pleurodesis is one of the main options resorted to for long term control of MPE. There is data to suggest there may be a survival benefit for patients with MPE who achieve successful pleurodesis. A systematic review was carried out to explore this correlation and results suggest that there could be a survival difference according to pleurodesis outcome in patients with MPE. Fifteen studies (reported in 13 papers) were included; 13 (86.6%) of the studies showed survival difference in favour of pleurodesis success. The median [interquartile range] difference in survival between the two groups among the different studies was five [3.5-5.8] months. Most of the included studies suffered moderate to severe risk of bias and, thus, large prospective studies of patients undergoing pleurodesis are required to ascertain this effect.
PubMed: 34222645
DOI: 10.1515/pp-2020-0147 -
PloS One 2021Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) prevalence is typically higher in juvenile patients than in adults. We aimed to evaluate the optimal treatment for primary... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) prevalence is typically higher in juvenile patients than in adults. We aimed to evaluate the optimal treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax and its efficacy and safety in juveniles.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for eligible studies published from database inception to October 10, 2020, and conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The primary and secondary outcomes were recurrence rate and hospital stay length, respectively. Odds ratios (OR) and mean differences were used for quantitatively analyzing binary and continuous outcomes, respectively. In total, nine retrospective studies with 1,452 juvenile patients (aged <21) were included for the quantitative analysis. The surgical approach led to a lower recurrence rate than did conservative approaches (OR: 1.95, 95% confidence interval: 1.15-3.32). Moreover, the recurrence rate was low in patients who underwent conservative treatment first and received surgery later.
CONCLUSIONS
Surgical approach for first-line management might have a greater effect on recurrence prevention than do conservative approaches. An upfront surgery might be an optimal choice for juvenile primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
Topics: Conservative Treatment; Drainage; Humans; Length of Stay; Pleurodesis; Pneumothorax; Recurrence; Thoracoscopy; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33930078
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250929