A Retrospective Cohort Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Sequential versus Concurrent Intrapleural Instillation of Tissue Plasminogen Activator and DNase for Pleural Infection
Table 4
Characteristics of chest drainage and intrapleural tPA/DNase therapy ().
Size of chest drain
8-10 French
61 (45.2)
12-14 French
64 (47.4)
≥16 French
10 (7.4)
Number of chest drains placed
1 chest drain
107 (79.3)
2-3 chest drains
27 (20.0)
Concurrent antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy during tPA/DNase therapy
22 (16.3)
Aspirin or clopidogrel
19 (14.1)
Enoxaparin
3 (2.2)
Days from chest drain insertion to initial tPA/DNase therapy
2 (1-4)
First dose of tPA/DNase given within 48 hours of chest drain insertion
79 (58.5)
Number of doses of tPA/DNase therapy administered
1-2
40 (29.6)
3-4
53 (39.3)
5-6
42 (31.1)
Once-daily dosing of tPA/DNase therapy
28 (20.7)
Deescalated dose of tPA/DNase therapy
15 (11.1)
5 mg alteplase given as first dose
9 (6.7)
5 mg alteplase for all doses
6 (4.4)
Volume of pleural fluid drained (ml)
Up to 72 hours prior to the first dose of tPA/DNase therapy
167 (79-415)
24 hours after the first dose of tPA/DNase therapy
640 (349-989)
72 hours after the first dose of tPA/DNase therapy
1542 (948-2235)
Decrease in percentage of pleural effusion size (%)
18.2 (7.5-36.1)
Length of stay from first dose of tPA/DNase (days)
6 (4-11)
Duration of chest drain in pleural cavity following the first dose of tPA/DNase (days)
4 (3-6)
Data are presented in number (percentage) and median (interquartile range) for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Data not available for 8 patients.
