Short comparison of talc poudrage and tetracycline pleurodesis within patients suffering from malignant pleural effusion.

Abstract

Objective: To compare talc poudrage and tetracycline pleurodesis within patients suffering from malignant pleural effusion. Study Design: Controlled Clinical Trial. Setting: Division of Pulmonology, Jinnah Hospital Lahore. Period: September, 2022 up until May, 2023. Material & Methods: 100 individuals, both male and female, ranging in age from 20 to 80 years, diagnosed with malignant pleural effusion confirmed on biopsy were included by nonprobability consecutive sampling. Patients with active pleural infection, hemodynamic instability, systemic infection, serum hematocrit < 25%, hemothorax, chylothorax, multiple etiologies of pleural effusion, prior chemical pleurodesis, sensitivity to study drugs, life expectancy < 1 month, pregnancy and chest X-ray displaying trapped lung post chest tube drainage on the affected side were excluded. The patients were allocated into two groups at random using a lottery system. In group 1, patients received pleurodesis with talc poudrage and in group 2, patients received pleurodesis alongside tetracycline. Success was assessed after 4 weeks of pleurodesis. Results: In this study, mean age in talc group was 58.94±13.6 years and in tetracycline group it was 59.26±13.7 years.65% patients were male and 35% were females.Success was 94% in talc group and 76% in tetracycline group with p-value = 0.012. In terms of adverse effects, there is no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Talc pleurodesis has a higher success rate than the tetracycline pleurodesis. Talc pleurodesis also has less adverse effects than tetracycline pleurodesis.