Impact of a Pleural Care Program on the Management of Patients With Malignant Pleural Effusions

Background:Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are common and associated with a poor prognosis. Yet, many patients face suboptimal management characterized by repeated, nondefinitive therapeutic procedures and potentially avoidable hospital admissions. Methods:We conducted a retrospective comparison of patients who underwent a definitive palliative intervention for MPE (indwelling pleural catheter or pleurodesis) at our center, before and after the implementation of a pleural care program. Targeted interventions included staff education, establishment of formal pleural drainage policies, a pleural clinic with weekday walk-in capacity, and a rapid access pathway for oncology patients. Outcomes assessed were the proportion of emergency room (ER) presentations, hospitalizations, number of nondefinitive pleural procedures, and time-to-definitive palliative procedure. Results:A total of 144 patients were included: 69 in the preintervention group and 75 in the postintervention group. Although there was no difference in the proportion of ER presentations before and after interventions (43.5% vs. 38.7%, P=0.56), hospital admissions declined significantly (47.8% vs. 24.0%, P=0.003). The proportion of patients undergoing chest drain insertion decreased significantly (46.4% vs. 13.3%, P<0.001), with a stable low number of nondefinitive procedures per patient (1.6 +/- 1.1 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.9, P=0.32). A 7-day decrease in median time from presentation-to-definitive palliative procedure (P=0.05) was observed. Conclusion:A targeted pleural care program improved MPE palliation through reduction in hospitalizations and chest drain use, and shorter time-to-definitive palliation, despite failing to reduce ER presentations.