Percutaneous Biliary Drainage: Jaundice and Symptomatic Relief in a Public National Hospital

Background: Obstructive jaundice is a common condition in daily clinical practice. Given the severity of its potential complications, prompt management and resolution are essential. Percutaneous biliary drainage is a viable therapeutic option. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous biliary drainage in reducing bilirubin levels and providing symptomatic relief in patients with obstructive jaundice treated at Hospital Nacional Posadas between 2019 and 2024. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted using the database of Hospital Nacional Prof. A. Posadas. All patients diagnosed with obstructive jaundice (total bilirubin ≥2 mg/dL) who underwent percutaneous biliary drainage between June 2019 and May 2024 were included (n = 118). Data collected included age, sex, comorbidities, procedures, underlying cause, complications, laboratory results, and symptomatic improvement. Results: A total of 118 patients underwent percutaneous biliary drainage. Of these, 58 (49.1%) were female and 60 (50.8%) were male. The mean age was 60.43 years. The average baseline total bilirubin level was 15.44 mg/dL. Clinical presentation included jaundice (86.44%), fever (20.33%), and pain (55.08%). At 72 hours postprocedure, 59.32% of patients experienced a 50% reduction in bilirubin levels, and 70.33% reported symptomatic relief. The average total bilirubin at discharge was 8.6 mg/dL. Procedure-related complications occurred in 5.08% of patients, the most common being hemorrhage (2.54%). A second drainage procedure or catheter replacement was necessary in 31.34% of cases, and 15.25% required an additional intervention (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or surgery) to achieve adequate bilirubin reduction. Conclusion: In our series, percutaneous biliary drainage proved to be an effective and safe method for reducing bilirubin levels and providing symptomatic relief, with an acceptably low complication rate.