* Pleural effusion is excess fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs. Excessive amounts of such fluid can impair breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs during inhalation.
* Diagnosis:
- Chest x-ray
- Clinical signs: decreased movement of the chest on the affected side, dullness to percussion over the fluid, diminished breath sounds on the affected side, decreased vocal resonance and fremitus (though this is an inconsistent and unreliable sign), pleural friction rub.
- Exudative pleural effusions meet at least one of the following criteria:
1.Pleural fluid protein >2.9 g/dL (29 g/L)
2.Pleural fluid cholesterol >45 mg/dL (1.16 mmol/L)
3.Pleural fluid LDH >60 percent of upper limit for serum
- Light’s criteria:
1.The ratio of pleural fluid protein to serum protein is greater than 0.5
2.The ratio of pleural fluid LDH and serum LDH is greater than 0.6
3.Pleural fluid LDH is more than two-thirds normal upper limit for serum
* Causes:
The most common causes of exudative pleural effusions are bacterial pneumonia, cancer (with lung cancer, breast cancer, and lymphoma causing approximately 75% of all malignant pleural effusions), viral infection, and pulmonary embolism.
Emphysema (02/01/2011) COPD (25/12/2010) Pulmonary Embolism (20/12/2010) Acute asthma attack (20/12/2010) Community-acquired Pnemonia (CAP) (20/12/2010) PULMONARY EMBOLISM _ treatment (20/12/2010) PLEURAL EFFUSION, TREATMENT (19/12/2010) Bronchiectasis (19/12/2010) Chronic Bronchitis (19/12/2010)
