PLEURX CATHETERS

PleurX catheters are inserted into the pleural cavity to drain pleural fluid. The aim is to relieve breathlessness, stop re-admission into hospital for repeat aspirations and improve quality of life.

A pleurX catheter is a silicone tube, which is placed, under general anaesthetic, into the pleural space. It will remain in situ as long as is necessary, 50% of patients have them in situ for longer than a month.

CARE BY THE DISTRICT NURSE

The catheter will be accessed and the fluid drained by the district nurses three times a week for the first 3-4 weeks, then twice weekly for a couple of weeks. If pleural fluid continues to diminish, drainage becomes weekly – fortnightly. If no fluid drains on 2-3 occasions, patients go back to clinic to have a chest x-ray to confirm pleurodesis and the catheter will be removed in out-patients with a local anaesthetic.

The nurse will note the amount and colour of the pleural fluid on each visit. If pleural fluid dramatically changes colour, a sample of pleural fluid will be taken for microscopy, culture and sensitivity, and a blood sample for International normalise ratio (INR), full blood count (FBC) and creatinine reactive protein (CRP). If redness around the catheter site is observed, a swab is taken and the patient temperature is recorded. If the redness increases or the patient feels unwell contact your GP

Sutures from the incision site are removed at 7 days post-operatively and the sutures around the catheter after 3 weeks from the date of insertion.

Causes

Malignant pleural effusions are as a result of metastasis to pleural space, either from breast, lung, upper gastro-intestinal or bowel cancer or mesothelioma.

Treatment is the palliative relief of the debilitating breathlessness.