The successful use of octreotide in the treatment of traumatic chylothorax.
Chylothorax is a well-documented complication of thoracic trauma and is associated with mortality rates of up to 75%. The conservative treatment of chylothorax includes pleural drainage and a low-fat diet rich in medium-chain fatty acids, followed by total parenteral nutrition and nothing by mouth. If these measures fail and drainage continues to exceed 1 L/d, surgical thoracic duct ligation is usually recommended. However, many patients are unable to undergo this surgical procedure and require an alternative treatment. We present the cases of 2 adult patients, one of whom developed chylothorax after an elective surgical procedure, and the other after a traffic accident that caused multiple injuries. In both patients, conservative management with the addition of octreotide was successful and negated the need for surgical intervention.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Chesterman Wing, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S5 7AU, United Kingdom. a.sharkey@hotmail.co.uk
Annabel J
AJ
Sharkey
Jagan N
JN
Rao
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D002916:Chylothorax / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015282:Octreotide