Chemical pleurodesis with tetracycline--a short term follow up.

Therapeutic tetracycline pleurodesis was performed on 14 different inoperable surgical patients having symptomatic recurrent pneumothoraces ( > 40 percent) and malignant pleural effusions over a period of six months in the medical/surgical units of Central Government Poly Clinic, Islamabad. The study included 9 males and 5 females ranging 27 59 years of their ages. Only one patient needed repeated intrapleural tetracycline instillation for complete control. The immediate results of this technique have been encouraging (JPMA 34 :88, 1984).