🫁 Respiratory🟢 BasicPleural Diseases

Pleural Effusion

A collection of fluid in the space around the lung, which compresses the lung and causes breathlessness.

Key points

A pleural effusion is a build-up of fluid between the lung and the chest wall, in the pleural space.
It causes breathlessness and a dull chest ache, and on examination there are reduced breath sounds and a stony dull note on tapping.
Effusions are divided into transudates (low protein, from raised pressure or low albumin, as in heart or liver failure) and exudates (high protein, from inflammation, infection or cancer).
Light's criteria are used to separate a transudate from an exudate using the protein and enzyme levels.
The cause is found by examining a sample of the fluid drawn off with a needle, and by imaging.

Memory trick

Pleural effusion is fluid around the lung: breathless, dull ache, reduced breath sounds, stony dull percussion; transudate (low protein; heart or liver failure) versus exudate (high protein; infection, cancer); Light's criteria separate them; sample the fluid.

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🫁 Respiratory🟢 BasicPleural Diseases

Pleural Effusion

A collection of fluid in the space around the lung, which compresses the lung and causes breathlessness.

Key points

A pleural effusion is a build-up of fluid between the lung and the chest wall, in the pleural space.
It causes breathlessness and a dull chest ache, and on examination there are reduced breath sounds and a stony dull note on tapping.
Effusions are divided into transudates (low protein, from raised pressure or low albumin, as in heart or liver failure) and exudates (high protein, from inflammation, infection or cancer).
Light's criteria are used to separate a transudate from an exudate using the protein and enzyme levels.
The cause is found by examining a sample of the fluid drawn off with a needle, and by imaging.

Memory trick

All of General Medicine More Respiratory