Impact of a pleural pathology unit in a third level hospital

Introduction: The creation of pleural pathology units (PPU) has shown a decrease in hospital admissions and costs without affecting the patients safety. Our objective was to assess the impact of creating a UPP in a tertiary hospital. Material and Methods: We performed a prospective study, collecting data of all patients admitted in the PPU and assessed in outpatient clinics (OC) for the last two years (2015-2016). Average stays, procedures performed and estimated income avoided were evaluated Results: In 2015, 223 patients were admitted in charge of PPU and 210 in 2016, being 641 patients assesed in OC in 2015 and 757 in 2016. Middle age of admitted patients was 64 (21) in 2015 and 64 (17) in 2016, 71% in 2015 and 69% in 2016 males. Most frequent pathologies were malignant pleural effusion (25%), neumothorax (24%), complicated parapneumonic pleural effusion (13%) and others (21%) in 2015; being a 28%, 25%, 26% and 38% respectively in 2016. Average stay and procedures performed are shown in the attached table. All the TPC and 33% of the PB were performed on OC. Also we carried out studies on the outpatient basis for the diagnosis of pleural effusion of unknown etiology in 38 patients in 2015 and 48 in 2016. Patients to whom PB, ET or TPD was performed in OC are considered hospital admission avoided, being 144 in 2015 and 234 in 2016. Conclusions: Creation of PPU decreases the number of hospital admissions and average stay without affecting the patients’ safety.