Role of autologous blood patch pleurodesis for management of prolonged pulmonary air leak: A systematic review

Prolonged air leak (PAL) represents the most commonly encountered complication following pulmonary resection. This review aims to show the role of autologous blood pleurodesis (ABPP) in the management of PAL. A search was conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar for English-language articles until September 15, 2023, with titles containing the related phrase "autologous blood patch pleurodesis (ABPP), and prolonged air leaks." Included studies comprised four randomised controlled trials, ten cohort studies, a case series, and nine case reports from various countries. Patients undergoing ABPP had a mean age of 52.7 years. Autologous blood volumes for pleurodesis varied (50 mL to 250 mL). Approximately 73.8% of cases responded to ABPP in 1 to 30 days (mean 3.75 days), and in-hospital complications were infrequent (3.9%). Follow-up durations post pleurodesis were up to 20 months. The evidence presented in this systematic review supports the role of ABPP as an effective and safe intervention for managing PAL, particularly after pulmonary resection.