Early dislodgement of indwelling pleural catheter (IPC): A balancing act

Abstract

A 63-year-old nonsmoker with right malignant pleural effusion derived symptomatic benefit following drainage of his effusion. Following insertion of indwelling pleural catheter (IPC), 1.3 L of blood-stained fluid was drained into underwater sealed bottle (Atrium®), but the IPC dislodged 26 h after continuous connection. We believe that the weight of the drainage bottle (including the un-emptied fluid) and the prolonged connection time contributed to this uncommon event reported in the literature. There was no recurrence when his second IPC was connected to a drainage bag which was emptied at every 500 mL, capped at 2 h each time. An anchoring stitch should also be considered when drainage devices heavier than the manufacturer bottles are used to drain IPC.