Thorax Online First, published on November 1, 2016 as 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207967 Respiratory research Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207967 on 1 November 2016. Downloaded from ORIGINAL ARTICLE Effectiveness of chemical pleurodesis in spontaneous pneumothorax recurrence prevention: a systematic review R J Hallifax,1 A Yousuf,1 H E Jones,2 J P Corcoran,1 I Psallidas,1 N M Rahman1 1Oxford Centre for Respiratory ABSTRACT Medicine, Oxford University Objectives Spontaneous pneumothorax is a common Key messages Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, UK pathology. International guidelines suggest pleurodesis 2Faculty of Health Sciences, for non-resolving air leak or recurrence prevention at School of Social and second occurrence. This study comprehensively reviews What is the key question? Community Medicine, the existing literature regarding chemical pleurodesis ▸ How effective are chemical pleurodesis agents University of Bristol, Bristol, UK efficacy. at recurrence prevention in spontaneous Correspondence to Design We systematically reviewed the literature to pneumothorax? Dr Rob J Hallifax, Oxford identify relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs), Respiratory Trials Unit, case–control studies and case series. We described the What is the bottom line? University of Oxford, Churchill findings of these studies and tabulated relative ▸ Talc poudrage at thoracoscopy and talc or Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK; minocycline pleurodesis as an adjunct to
[email protected] recurrence rates or ORs (in studies with control groups). Meta-analysis was not performed due to substantial surgery provide low recurrence rates. Less Received 21 October 2015 clinical heterogeneity. invasive options include pleurodesis using Revised 2 August 2016 Results Of 560 abstracts identified by our search tetracycline or ‘blood patch’ via chest drain.