<![CDATA[Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, with the most common complication being pleural effusion. This complication is often associated with poor outcomes and has a significant impact on treatment duration in the hospital. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics of lung cancer patients with pleural effusion and their relationship with length of stay.Methods: A cohort retrospective design was adopted, and data from patient medical records from January 2022 to December 2023 were collected at Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh. Lung cancer patients with pleural effusion at diagnosis or during the disease were identified based on thoracic CT scans or ultrasonography of the thorax. The risk factors related to the length of hospitalization were identified using a multivariate regression.Results: This study showed that the clinical characteristics of lung cancer with pleural effusion were mostly 40—60 years old (57.7%), male (79.2%), smokers (79.2%), squamous cell carcinoma (57%), without comorbidities (69.1%), malignant pleural effusion only (19.5%), shortness of breath (49%), treated with thoracentesis (37.6%), and Water Sealed Drainage (37.6%). Furthermore, Water-Sealed Drainage (WSD) significantly affected the length of hospitalization. Patients with WSD management showed lower hospitalization with the outcome of being discharged from the hospital (p < 0.05; OR 0.019; 95% CI: 0.006—0.061).Conclusion: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent histological subtype among lung cancer patients with pleural effusion. Water-sealed drainage is associated with lower length of stay. Furthermore, management with WSD had a lower risk of poor therapeutic outcomes and prolonged hospitalization.]]>
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