title: Image-guided drainage of pericardial effusions in oncology patients.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to report our clinical experience with image-guided drainage of pericardial effusions in oncology patients. IRB approval was obtained for this retrospective, HIPAA-compliant study. From November 2002 to January 2008, 40 patients underwent 43 image-guided drainages of pericardial effusions. The medical records were reviewed to analyze the technical aspects of the procedures, complications, and clinical outcomes. Thirty-three pericardial drains were placed and 10 pericardiocenteses were performed. The technical success rate was 100%. Thirty-three procedures were performed under computed tomographic (CT) guidance, five under ultrasound (US) guidance, and five using both CT and US guidance. There were no technical, procedure-related complications. Delayed postprocedure complications and arrhythmias occurred in 11 cases, for an overall complication rate of 25.6%. All complications occurred in patients who had undergone drain placement. Nine patients developed new or worsening arrhythmias and six of these patients required transfer to a higher level of care or the initiation of pharmacological management. In 58.6% of drain placements, including 4 of 11 patients who developed complications, the catheter could have been removed earlier. The median overall survival was 6.47 months (95% CI: 2.37, 12.7). In conclusion, image-guided pericardial drain placement is safe and feasible. Due to the frequency of delayed postprocedure arrhythmias, follow-up monitoring in a telemetry unit is recommended. Prompt catheter removal after drainage may reduce the incidence of delayed post-catheter-insertion arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology Section, Unit 325, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA. alda.tam@di.mdacc.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Alda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Joe E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ensor
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Jean-Bernard
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional