A Comparative Study Between Conventional Chest Tube and Intrapleural Catheter Drainage in the Management of Malignant Pleural Effusion

Adnan Younis Panni; Farhan Ahmed Majeed; Adeel Wyne; Waqas Ahmed; Ali Zaman; Muhammad Ans

doi:10.37185/

Authors

Adnan Younis Panni Combined Military Hospitals (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Farhan Ahmed Majeed Combined Military Hospitals (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Adeel Wyne Combined Military Hospitals (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Waqas Ahmed Combined Military Hospitals (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Ali Zaman Combined Military Hospitals (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Muhammad Ans Combined Military Hospitals (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37185/

Keywords:

Chest Intubation, Indwelling Pleural Catheters, Malignant Pleural Effusion

Abstract

Objective: To compare conventional chest intubation versus intrapleural catheter drainage in the management of patients with malignant pleural effusion.
Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January 2025 to December 2025.
Methods: A total of 84 patients with malignant pleural effusion were divided into two groups of 42 each. Patients included in Group A underwent conventional chest tube insertion, while patients in Group B were managed with intrapleural catheter drainage. Both groups of patients were compared for dyspnea using the visual analog scale for dyspnea (VASD), pain score, and complications such as catheter blockage, pleural infection, catheter dislodgment, cellulitis, and pleurodesis failure at 2, 4, and 8 weeks of follow-up. SPSS version 25 was used for data analysis, and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The overall mean age of patients included in the study was 55.9±8.3 years. There were 57 male patients (67.9%) and 27 female patients (32.1%). Both groups had comparable VASD scores at 4 weeks (P=0.738). The intrapleural catheter group had a lower VASD score at 8 weeks than the chest tube group (P<0.001). Moreover, pain score was significantly lower in the intrapleural catheter group as compared to the chest tube group both at 4 weeks (P<0.001) and 8 weeks (P=0.010), respectively.
Conclusion: Patients reporting with MPE can be treated effectively by choosing both the management modalities; IPC drainage is better than chest tube in terms of better symptomatic relief with a comparable complication rate.

How to cite this: Panni AY, Majeed FA, Wyne A, Ahmed W, Zaman A, Ans M. A Comparative Study Between Conventional Chest Tube and Intrapleural Catheter Drainage in the Management of Malignant Pleural Effusion. Life and Science. 2026; 7(3): 291-296. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.1163