Prevalencia de derrame pleural en pacientes de 60 a 80 años en el Hospital General Guasmo Sur enero 2018 a julio 2019.

Abstract

Fluid accumulation in the pleural space is a complication of many thoracic disorders and systemic diseases. Pleural effusion (PD) is always abnormal and is particularly more frequent in older adults, producing specific effects on ventilatory mechanics and sometimes presaging previously unknown malignancies. Objectives: To identify the frequency of PD, the most frequent etiologies, characteristics of the pleural fluid and associated comorbidities. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study with a qualitative approach is presented. The data was updated by reviewing electronic medical records of patients with a diagnosis of pleural effusion, aged between 60 and 80 years hospitalized at the General Hospital Guasmo Sur for eighteen months (January 2018 to July 2019). Results: The frequency of pleural effusion was 22.3%. The mean (mean) age was 69.81 years with a standard deviation of 6.14. The male gender represents 57.1% of all patients. Dyspnea was the most frequent symptom with 81.4% followed by cough (26.5%). Non-malignant pleural effusion was more frequent in 82% of cases. Heart failure occurred in 58 patients (18.3%) followed by neoplasms (18%), Tuberculosis (16.4%), Pneumonia (14.8%). In general, PDs are described as transudates (58.04%), unilateral (73.82%) and massive only in 23.03% of cases. The main comorbidities found were chronic kidney disease (21.7%). Conclusions: Pleural effusion in severely elderly patients, mostly with dyspnea, the most frequent etiology is heart failure, when analysis of pleural fluid is shown as unilateral transudates and the most common comorbidity is chronic kidney disease.