Management of dyspnea and respiratory insufficiency as a main palliayive care in malignant pleural effusions

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to answer the question whether the treatment of these patients leads to control of respiratory failure by relieving and eliminating dyspnea and preserving the patients’ ability to care for themselves, as well as achieving reduction of the number of hospitalizations of patients with unsuccessful pleurodesis and effusion persistence. MATHERIAL AND METHODS: 165 patients with malignant pleural effusions were treated in the Clinic of Thoracic Surgery for the period 01 January 2013 – 31 May 2016. 70 patients underwent surgeries with single-port VATS, 66 patients were operated on with conventional VATS, while 29 patients were treated with thoracocentesis and drainage. RESULTS: Of all 165 alone 5 patients, constituting 3.03% of the total number of patients, had to be admitted to the hospital for a second time due to reaccumulation of pleural effusion within the next 30 days. Satisfactory dyspnea control was established, allowing the patients to take care of themselves. CONCLUSION: The surgical procedures – single-port and conventional VATS surgeries, thoracocentesis, drainage and placement of long-term pleural catheter with, or without, pleurodesis constitute part of the procedures achieving control over dyspnea in patients with MPE.

Keywords

• Management
• MPE – malignant pleural effusion
• dyspnea