ARTICLE: Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions. An Official ATS/STS/STR Clinical Practice Guideline
AUTHORS: David J. Feller-Kopman, Chakravarthy B. Reddy, Malcolm M. DeCamp, Rebecca L. Diekemper, Michael K. Gould, Travis Henry, Narayan P. Iyer, Y. C. Gary Lee, Sandra Z. Lewis, Nick A. Maskell, Najib M. Rahman, Daniel H. Sterman, Momen M. Wahidi, and Alex A. Balekian
JOURNAL: Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 Oct 1;198(7):839-849. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201807-1415ST.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This Guideline, a collaborative effort from the American Thoracic Society, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and Society of Thoracic Radiology, aims to provide evidence-based recommendations to guide contemporary management of patients with a malignantpleural effusion (MPE).
METHODS: A multidisciplinary panel developed seven questions using the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcomes) format. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach and the Evidence to Decision framework was applied to each question. Recommendations were formulated, discussed, and approved by the entire panel.
RESULTS: The panel made weak recommendations in favor of: 1) using ultrasound to guide pleural interventions; 2) not performing pleuralinterventions in asymptomatic patients with MPE; 3) using either an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) or chemical pleurodesis in symptomatic patients with MPE and suspected expandable lung; 4) performing large-volume thoracentesis to assess symptomatic response and lung expansion; 5) using either talc poudrage or talc slurry for chemical pleurodesis; 6) using IPC instead of chemical pleurodesis in patients with nonexpandable lung or failed pleurodesis; and 7) treating IPC-associated infections with antibiotics and not removing the catheter.
CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations, based on the best available evidence, can guide management of patients with MPE and improve patient outcomes.
For a link to the full article, click here: https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201807-1415ST?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed
Link to abstract online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Management+of+Malignant+Pleural+Effusions.+An+Official+ATS%2FSTS%2FSTR+Clinical+Practice+Guideline
