Dispelling Myths about Thoracentesis and Pleural Fluid Analysis

Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
More Articles – Cardiovascular diseases, Central line, Featured, medical procedures, Nephrology, Respiratory diseases, Thoracentesis
More Tags – CHF, diuretics, exudate, featured, HPC updates, Light's criteria, pleural effusions, pleural fluid analysis, re-expansion pulmonary edema, thoracentesis, transudate
There are two myths that have persisted about thoracentesis and pleural fluid analysis that must be dispelled. The first myth is that a large volume thoracentesis should not remove more than 1,500 mL fluid due to the risk of re-expansion…
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What is the true complication rate for thoracentesis?

Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
More Articles – Cardiovascular diseases, Emergency Procedures, medical procedures, Respiratory diseases, Thoracentesis
More Tags – featured procedure, hemothorax, HPC updates, pneumothorax, re-expansion pulmonary edema, thoracentesis, thoracentesis complications, ultrasound-guided procedures
Thoracentesis is one of the most common bedside procedures performed in U.S. hospitals.  There are about 173,000 thoracenteses performed each year in the U.S.  A systematic review and meta-analysis in 2010 concluded that thoracentesis-related pneumothorax occurs 6% of the time…
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