Postoperative pleural effusion caused by dextran.

Dextran is widely used in order to prevent intraperitoneal adhesions during pelvic surgery. Of 25 women who underwent laparotomy and in whom dextran was instilled intraperitoneally, almost half developed pleural effusions. These were generally mild and required no treatment. None of a control group of 20 women developed a pleural effusion. The mechanism of this type of effusion is discussed.