How Should We Manage Empyema Complicating Tunneled Pleural Catheter Placement?

摘要

The use of tunneled pleural catheters (TPCs) has become commonplace in the management of malignant pleural effusions. Touted advantages of this approach have included outpatient placement, liberal patient selection, rapid and persistent improvement in symptoms, and significant spontaneous pleurodesis rates.1 In addition, complication rates associated with this technique seem low and manageable. Nevertheless, as more and more of these catheters are placed, complications associated with their use will be seen proportionately more frequently. Empyema is perhaps the most severe complication occurring in patients treated with TPCs.