Thoracentesis Course

Thoracentesis is a procedure to aspirate pleural fluid from the pleural space.  A diagnostic thoracentesis can be performed to determine the etiology of pleural effusions or to determine if the patient has infected pleural fluid, or a therapeutic thoracentesis can be performed to drain a symptomatic pleural effusion.  The thoracentesis course uses advanced ultrasound-compatible simulators and Safe-T-centesis kits to train clinicians how to perform a landmark-guided thoracentesis or an ultrasound-guided thoracentesis.  This course also teaches students how to manage thoracentesis complications and how to perform pleural fluid analysis.

The HPC Hospitalist and Emergency Procedures course will teach you how to perform thoracentesis in addition to endotracheal intubation, stylet-guided intubations, laryngeal mask airway (LMA) placement, King tube placement, or fiberoptic intubations. central venous access, ultrasound-guided central line placement, ultrasound-guided peripheral IV access, arterial lines, POCUS exams (E-FAST exams, RUSH exams), paracentesis, lumbar puncture, chest tube placement, pigtail catheter placement, needle thoracostomy, procedural sedation and ventilator management.

Our thoracentesis course is a component of our live Hospitalist and Emergency Procedures CME course which teaches clinicians how to perform the 20 most essential procedures needed to work in the ER, ICU, and hospital wards.

CLICK HERE to find out more about our premier live Hospitalist and Emergency Procedures CME course

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Thoracentesis Skills Lab

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Thoracentesis Video

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Thoracentesis Course trains students in:

  • Indications for a Thoracentesis
  • Contraindications for a Thoracentesis
  • Complications of a Thoracentesis
  • Equipment for a Thoracentesis
  • Proper positioning and technique for a Thoracentesis
  • Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis
  • Pleural fluid analysis
  • Coding for a Thoracentesis
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Thoracentesis Reference Card

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Thoracentesis Blogs

Dispelling Myths about Thoracentesis and Pleural Fluid Analysis

Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
BNP, Chest Pain, CHF, diuretics, exudate, Featured, Heart failure, HPC Updates, pleural effusions, pleural fluid analysis, Pleural space, re-expansion pulmonary edema, Thoracentesis, transudate, Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis
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
Featured Procedure, HPC Updates, pleural effusions, pleural fluid analysis, Pneumothorax, re-expansion pulmonary edema, Thoracentesis, ultrasound-guided procedures, Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis
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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Clinical Pearls for Airway Management of Morbidly Obese Patients

Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
advanced airway, Airway management, awake intubation, cricothyroidotomy, difficult airway, difficult airway management, Difficult Intubation, Difficult LMA, direct laryngoscopy, emergent intubation, Endotracheal Intubation, Featured, GlideScope, Glidescope Intubation, HPC Updates, intermediate airways, Intubation, Ketofol, Laryngeal Mask Airway, laryngoscopy, LMA, Mechanical Ventilation, Propofol, supraglottic airway, Vascular access, Ventilation, video laryngoscopy, Videolaryngoscopy
Morbidly obese patients can pose numerous challenges when it comes to airway management. Morbid obesity can make vascular access more difficult and you need good vascular access prior to any attempts at safe airway management. In addition, morbid obesity can…
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The Case for Simulation Based Training for Bedside Hospital Procedures

Dr. Rick Rutherford, M.D., FAAFP
Central Line, Central line insertion, central line placement, central lines, Central Venous Catheter, central venous catheters, E-FAST, emergency procedures, emergency procedures course, FAST exam, Featured, First-attempt success rate, hospital procedures, hospital procedures course, Hospitalist, HPC, HPC Conference, HPC Updates, Lumbar Puncture, medical procedures, medical procedures course, paracentesis, Paracentesis, POCUS, safety checklists, Simulation Based Training, Simulation-based procedural training, Thoracentesis, Ultrasound, Ultrasound for Pneumothorax, Ultrasound-Guided Central Line Insertion, Ultrasound-guided lumbar puncture, Ultrasound-Guided Lumbar Punctures, Ultrasound-Guided Paracentesis, ultrasound-guided procedures, Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis
For decades the mantra for procedural education in medicine has been “see one-do one-teach one”.  Those of us who learned bedside procedures and point-of-care ultrasound by this model understand that this approach does not optimize safe and competent performance.   At…
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Simulation Based Training for Central Venous Catheters

Joseph Esherick, M.D., FAAFP, FHM
Central Line, central line complications, Central line insertion, central line placement, central lines, Central Venous Catheter, central venous catheters, Featured Procedure, HPC Updates, Procedure Blog of the Week, Simulation Based Training, Simulation-based procedural training, Ultrasound-Guided Central Line Insertion
Does Simulation Based Training Improve Central Line Success Rates? Simulation-based procedural training has become increasingly popular in academic medical centers and among medical trainees.  Limited data has suggested that simulation based training improves success rates and safety, but evidence has…
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Hospitalist and Emergency Procedures CME Courses Available

Register HERE 21 days before the course to SAVE $50-150 and get the following:

  1. 12 month online access to Online CME course, procedure video bundle, instructional posters
  2. Indefinite online access to PDFs of all course lectures, course handouts, and HPC Adult Critical Care and Emergency Drug Reference Drug

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