The antiseptic povidone-iodine can safely be instilled into the pleural for the purpose of
pleurodesis. Pleural irrigation with antiseptics is used in adults with open drainage for
chronic empyema and has been described in the acute management of paediatric pleural
infection.
This study will investigate the safety and usefulness of povidone-iodine pleural irrigation
in 15 eligible patients recruited to the Pleural Infection Cohort Study (PICS) with acute
pleural infection. A matched control group will be used and will be composed of 15 patients
previously recruited to PICS without receiving povidone-iodine pleural irrigation.