Safety and efficacy of using a surgivac pump for the drainage of chronic indwelling pleural catheters in malignant pleural effusions.
OBJECTIVE
This descriptive study assessed whether a reusable commercially available surgivac pump was a safe and affordable method for draining chronic malignant pleural effusions with an indwelling pleural catheter.


METHODS
Patients who were managed as outpatients using this technique were recruited over a 5-year period in Cairo, Egypt. The indwelling pleural catheters were inserted under local anaesthesia in a bronchoscopy suite. Patients were instructed by a trained nurse on how to drain the catheter using the surgivac pump.


RESULTS
Fifty-five patients were included in the study. Successful pleurodesis was achieved in 42 (76.3%) over a mean period of drainage of 19.1 days (range 12-59 days). In all patients, the surgivac pump was successful in draining their pleural fluid and there were no complications related to the device itself.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of a surgivac pump to drain malignant effusions via a chronic indwelling pleural catheter is safe and results in a pleurodesis comparable to the more commonly used negative pressure containers (vacuum bottles).
Al-Halfawy
Ahmed
A
Pulmonary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. ahalfawy@hotmail.com
Light
Richard
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D004534:Egypt; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014619:Vacuum Curettage / Q000009:adverse effects