Pleurodesis: a comparison of two sclerosing agents for pleural effusions in Mozambique.

Background: Pleural effusions constitute one of the most frequent pathologies encountered in the pulmonary service of Maputo Central Hospital (MCH) in Mozambique. Bleomycin and talc are commonly used for pleurodesis, but cost prohibitive, therefore we aimed to retrospectively compare the efficacy and safety of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with bleomycin for pleurodesis.

Methods: Case records of pleurodesis using bleomycin and NaOH from 2002 to 2013 were reviewed.