Treatment of encapsulated pleural effusions in children: a prospective trial

The aim of this study was to improve the efficacy of treatment of complicated pleural effusions.

In this prospective study, 76 consecutive children (average age 5.0 +/- 4.14 years) fulfilling the required classification criteria were duly treated with chest tube placement and divided into two groups depending on the presence of encapsulated or non-encapsulated effusions. Treatment of the former group was supplemented by intrapleural fibrinolysis. The effectiveness of treatment was assessed in terms of chest tube dwell-time and total length of hospitalization. Regression analysis was performed using independent factors that were associated with these dependent factors. Value differences for P < 0.05 were considered significant.

The ultrasound pleural distance and lactic-dehydrogenase content in the pleural fluid was significantly associated with the length of treatment (P < 0.01). Improved response to treatment, reduced duration of hospitalization (9.2 +/- 1.9 vs 11.5 +/- 0.9; P < 0.01) and tube dwell-time (7.6 +/- 1.3 vs 9.5 +/- 0.9; P < 0.01) was achieved in the intrapleural-fibrinolysis-treated group (n= 38) compared with controls (n= 38), with virtually the same total tube output (606.1 +/- 257.5 vs 673.1 +/- 347.4; P= 0.175). All patients were completely cured. Following 104 applications of the fibrinolytic agent there was one change in coagulation parameters: hypofibrinogenemia (in 1%).

The authors recommend intrapleural fibrinolysis as an effective and safe alternative treatment strategy in treating encapsulated pleural effusions in children.