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Table 3 Complications

From: Indwelling pleural catheters for malignancy-associated pleural effusion: report on a single centre’s ten years of experience

Complications

n

% (of complications)

% (of procedures)

Grade II (n)

Grade III (n)

Grade V (n)

Time to complication (days) (median, IQR)

Total

60

100.0

13.4

34

25

1

33.4 (10.3–79.3)

Aetiology

 Infections

25

41.7

5.6

16

8

1

60 (28–160)

  Local infection

14

23.3

3.1

12

2

38 (9.8–94.5)

   Cellulitis/Exit site

10

16.7

2.2

10

0

38 (10.8–61)

   Tunnel

4

6.7

0.9

2

2

103 (8.3–463.3)

  Deep infection (empyema)

11

18.3

2.5

4

6

1

116 (44–191)

 Catheter malfunction

24

40.0

5.4

11

13

26 (12–62.5)

  Occlusion/mechanical obstruction

13

21.7

2.9

10

3

27 (13.5–80.5)

  Dislodgement

8

13.3

1.8

1

7

20.5 (6.8–33.8)

  Leakage

3

5.0

0.7

3

31 (−)

 Loculation

5

8.3

1.1

3

2

26 (4–122.5)

 Bleeding

4

6.7

0.9

4

0.5 (0–4)

 Subcutaneous emphysema

1

1.7

0.2

1

9 (−)

 Tract metastasis

1

1.7

0.2

1

65 (−)

Catheter removed

23

38.3

5.1