Assessing the efficacy and outcomes of oxytetracycline pleurodesis in the management of malignant pleural effusion.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the outcome of OTC pleurodesis in patients with MPE in terms of efficacy, safety, and complications. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Department of Pulmonology, Jinnah Hospital, Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore. Period: September, 1^st 2025 to February, 28^th 2026. Methods: A total of 127 patients diagnosed with MPE full filling the inclusion criteria were selected through non-probability consecutive sampling. Written informed consent was taken from all the patients. Pleurodesis was performed using a dose of 35 mg/kg OTC. All the patients were followed up to 30 days after the procedure. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0. Descriptive statistics were calculated for baseline characteristics, including mean (M) ± standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables while percentages and frequencies for categorical variables. The Independent t-test was used to compare continuous variables. For categorical variables, the Chi-square test was applied to assess the association with pleurodesis success. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The cohort consisted of 67 males (52.76%) and 60 females (47.24%), with mean age of 58.4 ± 6.3 years. The duration of malignancy was 1.8 ± 0.4 years. The overall post pleurodesis success rate was 66.15%. Post-procedural complications included chest pain in 24.40% and fever in 17.32% of patients. Statistical analysis showed no significant associations between pleurodesis success and patient demographics or disease characteristics. Conclusion: These findings support OTC pleurodesis as a viable and effective option for MPE management, especially in resource-limited settings.