Povidone iodine vs. oxytertracycline efficacy in pleurodesis of patients with malignant pleural effusion

Background: Fifty percent of patients with recurrent malignant pleural effusion have dyspnea which limits their activities of daily living and quality of life. Pleurodesis prevents recurrence of pleural effusion and alleviates dyspnea by administration of sclerosing agents such as Oxytetracycline. Povidone Iodine however, has recently gained worldwide attention. Aims: This was conducted to determine which sclerosing agent has the higher efficacy rate and least side effects. Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of adult patients with malignant pleural effusion who underwent chest tube thoracostomy. Central measures of tendency and Fisher9s exact test were used to describe data and measure strength of association. Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of Research Flow Results: Subjects (n=21) were divided into the Oxytetracycline (n=11) and the Povidone Iodine arm (n=10). Drainage days in the Povidone Iodine group was significantly shorter (4.4 + 1.1 days) compared to Oxytetracycline group (6.9 + 1.9 days) (p-value 0.002). The most common adverse event was dyspnea (80%). A significantly higher complete success rate was seen in Povidone Iodine arm (6/10, 60%) versus Oxytetracycline arm (1/11, 9.10%) (p-value 0.013). There is 1 failed pleurodesis in the Oxytetracycline arm and none in Povidone Conclusion: Povidone Iodine is a safe and effective with higher complete success rates and shorter drainage duration.