Acute Medicine | Respiratory | Investigation and management of unilateral pleural effusion in adults

Investigation and management of pleural effusions in adults
Session overview
Description
This session provides an overview of the initial investigation and management of pleural effusions in adults.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• describe how to determine whether a pleural effusion is a transudate or an exudate
• list the causes of transudate and exudate pleural effusion in adults
• plan the appropriate initial investigations for a pleural effusion
• determine an appropriate management plan based on the investigation results

Frank Smith is a 58-year-old man who attends hospital with increasing shortness of breath on exertion and is now finding it difficult to walk more than 50 metres on the flat without stopping.

He says his health has always been good in the past and he has not had any chest problems previously.

On clinical examination he has reduced chest expansion on the left and stony dullness to percussion at the left base with reduced breath sounds.

Clinically you think this is likely to be a pleural effusion.