Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Thoracentesis indications
Introduction
Indications
Indications
The indications of Thoracocentesis can be divide into
Diagnostic-
- When thoracocentesis is done to take out small amount of pleural fluid for testing, to establish the cause of the disease.
- The most common causes of pleural effusions are cancer, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and recent surgery. In countries where tuberculosis is common, this is also a common cause of pleural effusions.
Therapeutic-
- When thoracocentesis is done to remove large amount of pleural fluid or air (in pneumothorax), so as to improve patient’s comfort and lung function.[1]
- When patient’s lung function is compromised due to large pneumothorax, or pleural effusion or hemothorax , then this procedure is usually replaced with tube thoracostomy, the placement of a large tube in the pleural space.
References
References
- ↑ Mercer, Rachel; Rahman, Najib M; Munavvar, Mohammed (2019). “Thoracentesis”. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.11385-6.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shaik Aisha sultana, [3]