Abstract.
Background: The standard treatment of chylothorax in pediatric intensive care today includes conservative therapy with fat-free nutrition, total parenteral nutrition and, if this is not successful, operative treatment (pleurodesis, ligation of the duct, pleuroperitoneal shunt). Patients: We describe four patients who were not in a suitable condition for operative treatment and who were treated with continuous infusion of somatostatin. Results: In three patients, chylothorax ceased with the continuous somatostatin infusion without side effects. One patient was treated without success. Conclusions: Somatostatin is a therapeutic option for treatment of chylothorax and could reduce surgical intervention and hospitalization time, as well as allow earlier enteral feeding.
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Final revision received: 27 October 2000
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Buettiker, V., Hug, M., Burger, R. et al. Somatostatin: a new therapeutic option for the treatment of chylothorax. Intensive Care Med 27, 1083–1086 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001340100959
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001340100959