ABSTRACT

The benign and malignant diseases cause an imbalance between production and reabsorption of fluid within the pleural space, which results in pleural effusion. It is a frequent presentation in emergency departments. When diagnosed, thoracenthesis should be performed to obtain information about the nature of the fluid and make a diagnosis. Biochemical, microbiologic and cytologic analysis of the fluid sample assists in deciding on the treatment according to the underlying etiology. While treatment of benign pleural effusions addresses primary etiology, further treatments are required in malignant pleural effusions to prevent repetitive fluid collection.

Keywords: Pleural effusion, emergency service, emergency treatment