2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - ePosters-EP.05A.06 Timing of Thoracentesis in Hospitalized Patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion: A Study of the US National Inpatient Sample

EP.05A.06 Timing of Thoracentesis in Hospitalized Patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion: A Study of the US National Inpatient Sample

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The document investigates the relationship between the timing of thoracentesis and patient outcomes in cases of malignant pleural effusion related to lung cancer, using nearest neighbor matching to control for age, sex, and race. Specifically, it analyzes the impact of late thoracocentesis (beyond day 3 of hospital admission) on all-cause mortality and endotracheal intubation rates.<br /><br />Results indicate that performing thoracentesis after the third hospital day is associated with a higher odds ratio for mortality. For patients with primary lung cancer, late thoracentesis corresponds to an odds ratio of 2.13 (95% CI: 1.42-3.20), whereas for those with metastatic disease to the lungs, the odds ratio is 1.73 (95% CI: 1.15-2.62) when compared to procedures done on days 1, 2, or 3. The study data, derived from a multicenter hospital database, also reveals an increased risk of intubation when thoracentesis is delayed, although specific statistical significance for mortality trends was not mentioned.<br /><br />The average timing for thoracentesis across observed groups was approximately 3.8 days, suggesting that many procedures occur on or after the average threshold for increased risk. The demographic analysis shows a slight difference in mean age, sex distribution, and racial composition between those with primary lung cancer and those with metastatic lung disease.<br /><br />The conclusion recommends early thoracentesis (before day 3) in hospital admissions for patients with malignant pleural effusion, regardless of whether it is due to primary or metastatic lung disease. The study calls for further research to determine the optimal timing for this procedure to minimize mortality and improve patient outcomes. These recommendations are based on aggregated national hospitalization data and underscore the potentially significant impact of timing in medical interventions for cancer patients.

Asset Subtitle

Aditya Sood

Meta Tag

Speaker Aditya Sood

Topic Pulmonology and Staging

Keywords

thoracentesis timing

malignant pleural effusion

lung cancer

patient outcomes

nearest neighbor matching

mortality odds ratio

endotracheal intubation

multicenter database

early thoracentesis

hospitalization data