Iodopovidone Pleurodesis: Experience of a tertiary hospital – Ahmedabad

Introduction: It is observed that recurrence rate after first spontaneous pneumothorax ranges between 25% and 50%. Among the wide variety of agents that are available for pleurodesis, povidone iodine is now perhaps the most useful agent as it is cheap, easily available, effective and safe. This study was conducted to establish the efficacy and safety of povidone iodine as an agent for pleurodesis in patients with recurrent pleural effusion and pneumothorax. Methods: Total 23 patients with recurrent pleural effusion or pneumothorax received povidone iodine pleurodesis over a period of almost 2 years. Pleurodesis was done via tube thoracostomy technique Results: Out of the 23 patients, 13 had malignant pleural effusion, 9 had recurrent pneumothorax and one had tubercular pleural effusion which was nonresponsive to antitubercular therapy. A complete response with no recurrence during follow-up was obtained in 21(91.30%) patients. All the cases of failure had malignant pleural effusion. 3 (13.04%) patients experienced intense chest pains after the installation of sclerosing agent, but they recovered with immediate symptomatic management. Conclusion: Povidone iodine may be considered as the agent of choice to achieve pleurodesis, as it is inexpensive and easily available and effective.