PLEURAL EFFUSIONS - OUTPATIENT MANAGEMENT WITH PIGTAIL CATHETER CHESTTUBES

Pulmonary effusions associated with ovarian cancer indicate advanced d isease. Although many patients tolerate these effusions, some are symp tomatic and manifest respiratory distress. Therapeutic sclerosis of th e pleural cavity is successful in some patients; however, not all pati ents are relieved of respiratory symptoms. We present two symptomatic patients in whom sclerosis was unsuccessful or not an option; their re spiratory symptoms were relieved with placement of pigtail catheter ch est tubes that allowed discharge from the hospital and management at h ome. Catheters were easy to manage at home and there were no infectiou s complications. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.