Tunneled Indwelling Pleural Catheters for Refractory Pleural Effusions after Solid Organ Transplant. A Case-Control Study

Indwelling pleural catheters for benign pleural effusions: what is the evidence?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Benign pleural effusions are common and usually managed by treating the underlying disease process. In some patients, these effusions may be refractory to medical management. Indwelling pleural catheters, used extensively for malignant pleural effusions, are increasingly used in benign pleural effusions not responding to medical therapy. This review focuses on current data regarding their safety and effectiveness in effusions due to congestive heart failure, hepatic hydrothorax, end-stage renal disease, and chylothorax.

RECENT FINDINGS

Indwelling pleural catheters are effective and appear well tolerated in congestive heart failure, seem to be associated with a low complication rate and may be considered a reasonable treatment option, particularly for nontransplant candidates. The pleurodesis rate interestingly approaches that of malignant pleural effusions (30-40%). In hepatic hydrothorax, indwelling pleural catheters carry a substantial risk of infectious complications and mortality risk and should be avoided in patients awaiting transplantation, but may be acceptable in the setting of palliation in selected patients intolerant to or poor candidates for other therapeutic options. Data are limited for end-stage renal disease and chylothorax, and therefore, indwelling pleural catheters should only be considered in these situations after a thoughtful multidisciplinary discussion.

SUMMARY

Indwelling pleural catheters are effective at symptom palliation and have pleurodesis rates comparable to that seen in malignant pleural effusions. However, given the paucity of evidence and low quality of available data, prospective and comparative studies evaluating safety and efficacy in these specific patient populations are needed.

Indwelling Pleural Catheters in Hepatic Hydrothorax: A Single-Center Series of Outcomes and Complications

BACKGROUND

Treatment of hepatic hydrothorax (HH) generally involves sodium restriction, diuretics, and serial thoracentesis. In more advanced cases, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and liver transplantation may be required. Previously, indwelling tube drainage has been avoided due to concerns regarding high complication rates and overall poor outcomes. Recently, indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) have been proposed as a novel treatment option for HH.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective review of patients who had undergone IPC placement for HH over a 10-year period at a large liver transplant referral center. We tracked outcomes, including complication rates and liver transplantation, as well as biomarkers of nutritional status.

RESULTS

Sixty-two patients underwent IPC placement between 2007 and 2017, with 33 IPCs (53%) placed as a bridge to liver transplantation. Complications were recorded in 22 patients (36%); empyema was the most common, diagnosed in 10 patients (16.1%). Ten patients evaluated for liver transplantation underwent successful transplantation following IPC placement. There were statistically significant decreases in both BMI and serum albumin levels following IPC placement.

CONCLUSIONS

IPCs represent a potential treatment for refractory HH and should be used with caution in patients eligible for liver transplantation. Ideally, IPC use for these patients would be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. IPC use may lead to small decreases in BMI and serum albumin levels in patients over time.

Indwelling pleural catheters: complications and management strategies

Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are increasingly being used for patients with recurrent malignant pleural effusions. They are simple to place and can be done on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. IPCs uniformly relieve dyspnea and improve quality of life of patients with malignant pleural effusions. In some patients with recurrent non-malignant pleural effusions, IPCs proved to be effective as well. With increasing use of IPCs, physicians and patients are faced with complications related to the presence of an indwelling catheter for extended periods of time. The purpose of this review is to describe the various complications of IPCs and to present the available data on how to best treat and potentially prevent these complications.

Indwelling Pleural Catheters for Nonmalignant Effusions: Evidence-Based Answers to Clinical Concerns

Pleural effusions occur in 1.5 million patients yearly and are a common cause of dyspnea. For nonmalignant effusions, initial treatment is directed at the underlying cause, but when effusions become refractory to medical therapy, palliative options are limited. Tunneled pleural catheters (TPCs) are commonly used for palliation of malignant effusions, but many clinicians are reluctant to recommend these devices for palliation of nonmalignant effusions, citing concerns of infection, renal failure, electrolyte disturbances and protein-loss malnutrition. Based on the published experience to date, TPCs relieve dyspnea and can result in spontaneous pleurodesis in patients with nonmalignant effusions. The infection rate compares favorably to that for malignant effusions with possible increased risk in patients with hepatic hydrothorax and posttransplant patients. Renal failure, electrolyte disturbance and protein-loss malnutrition have not been observed. TPCs are a reasonable option in select patients to palliate nonmalignant effusions refractory to maximal medical therapy.