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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Local Anesthetic Thoracoscopy for Undiagnosed Pleural Effusion
Published on: November 10, 2023
Outpatient talc administration via indwelling pleural catheters for malignant effusions
Alexandra Dipper1, Rahul Bhatnagar2, Nick Maskell2
1Respiratory Department, Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
Purpose Of Review:
Malignant pleural effusion is a common cause of breathlessness and signifies advanced disease. Common options for definitive pleural intervention include insertion of an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) or talc pleurodesis.
Recent Findings:
Administration of graded talc through an IPC offers an increased chance of pleurodesis compared with IPC drainage alone and is not associated with a significant risk of adverse events.
Summary:
In patients where an ambulatory treatment pathway is preferred, the increased chance of pleurodesis with talc administration via IPC can result in a faster time to device removal and may be associated with better quality of life and symptom scores.
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