title: Pleurodesis with povidone-iodine, as an effective procedure in management of patients with malignant pleural effusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Overtime, malignant pleural effusion (MPE) arises in advanced-stages of malignancies and frequently heralds a poor prognosis. If the underlying malignancy is chemo sensitive, systemic chemotherapy may control pleural effusion. A common method for the management of the patients with refractory MPE is pleurodesis through the introduction of sclerosing agents such as talc, bleomycin administered/instilled into the pleural cavity. However, the present prospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of pleurodesis with povidone-iodine (Betadine) in patients with MPE admitted in Sari General Hospital during 2008-2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients who underwent pleurodesis by instilling povidone-iodine through a thoracostomy tube, as a bedside procedure were enrolled in the study. For evaluating the effect of povidone-iodine on thyroid gland, the authors measured the thyroid function tests before and after the pleurodesis at 1 week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response to this procedure was complete in 26 patients (72.2%) and partial in 7 patients (19.4%). Treatment failure was displayed in 3 patients (8.3%). The overall success rate was 91.6%. In post-procedure, the most common complaints of the patients were pain (35.9%) followed by dyspnea, burning and fever. Povidone-iodine does not affect on thyroid function tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Povidone-iodine is an effective, inexpensive, safe and feasible agent for chemical pleurodesis in management of MPE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Godazandeh
authors.forename: Nasim Haji
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Qasemi
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saghafi
authors.forename: Meisam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mortazian
authors.forename: Pouya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tayebi
keywords: Povidone- iodine; malignant pleural effusion; pleurodesis