Dugal Smith

Background: Pleural infection is life‐threatening and increasingly prevalent. In addition to usual care, twice‐daily, separate administration of tissue plasminogen activator and deoxyribonuclease (tPA‐DNase) reduces radiological pleural opacity with lower surgical referral rates.Aims: This retrospective cohort study examines the use of once‐daily, concurrent administration of tPA‐DNase for complex parapneumonic pleural effusion and empyema.Methods: Patients with pleural infection who received intrapleural tPA‐DNase between October 2014 and July 2020 at Logan Hospital, where it is given concurrently and once‐daily as salvage therapy, were retrospectively identified. Radiographic opacification, inflammatory markers, clinical response and complications were examined.Results: Thirty‐one patients were identified. Mean age was 48.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 17.2). Median tPA‐DNase administration was 3 (interquartile range [IQR], 2–3). Chest x‐ray pleural opacity decreased significantly (P = 0.047) from a median of 39.6% (IQR, 28.8–65.7%) to 9.7% (IQR, 2.5–23.2%), a median relative reduction of 75.5% (IQR, 47.7–93.9%). White cell count and C‐reactive protein improved significantly (P = 0.002 and P = 0.032, respectively) from a median of 16.3 × 10⁹/L (IQR, 11.8–20.6 × 10⁹/L) to 9.9 × 10⁹/L (IQR, 8.0–12.3 × 10⁹/L) and 311.0 mg/L (IQR, 218.8–374.0 mg/L) to 69.0 mg/L (IQR, 36.0–118.0 mg/L), respectively. No patients experienced significant bleeding or died. Five patients (16.1%) were referred for surgery.Conclusion: This is pilot evidence that a practical regimen of concurrent, once‐daily intrapleural tPA‐DNase improved pleural opacification and inflammatory markers without bleeding or mortality. The surgical referral rate was higher than in studies assessing twice‐daily administration, though the validity of this outcome as a measure of treatment success is limited, and further studies are needed to assess the optimal dose and frequency of intrapleural therapy and indications for surgical referral.

A prospective study of non-invasive ventilation at The Prince Charles Hospital outside of the intensive care unit from March 2015 to March 2016 was performed. Overall 69 patients were included. Acute hypercapnic respiratory failure was the most common indication (n = 59; 85%). 49 (71%) had multifactorial respiratory failure. 15 (22%) patients died. Premorbid inability to perform self-care (P = 0.001) and the combination of mean pH < 7.25 and mean PaCO₂ ≥ 75 mmHg within 2 h of NIV initiation (P = 0.037) were significantly associated with mortality. There was a non-significant association between older age and mortality.