Autologous blood pleurodesis for treatment of prolonged air leak in secondary spontaneous pneumothorax

• Published in: Indian journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery 2009-12, Vol.25 (4), p.188-191
• Main Authors: Aghajanzadeh, Manouchehr, Hemati, Hosin, Moghaddamnia, Mohamad Reza, Aghajanzadeh, Gilda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cardiac Surgery; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Surgery; Thoracic Surgery; Vascular Surgery
• ISSN: 0970-9134; 0973-7723
• DOI: 10.1007/s12055-009-0054-4

Background Persistent air leak after secondary spontaneous pneumothorax is one of the most common problems encountered by thoracic surgeons. The aim of this study was to assess the value of autologous blood pleurodesis to seal prolonged air leaks. Methods Between June 2005 and January 2007 autologous blood pleurodesis was performed in 38 patients who had air leak of more than 8 days duration and these patients can’t tolerate any surgical interventions. A sample of peripheral blood was taken from the patient’s veins and immediately introduced into the chest tube. The chest tube was left unclamped and off suction and connected to the waterseal drainage and kept 80 cm above the patient’s chest. The next day, the waterseal were reviewed for air leaks. Results One hundred to 250 mL of blood was introduced into the chest tube. After 24 hours, air leak was stopped in 30 patients and after 48 hours, pleurodesis was repeated in last eight patients and air leak was stopped in 4 patients. No patient experienced any pain, respiratory difficulty, fever, or episodes of coughing during the procedure. Conclusions On the basis of these preliminary findings, we believe pleurodesis with autologous blood is a safe and effective method for treatment of persistent air leak after secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with poor condition.