Author Show Mark E Brauner, DO Emergency Physician, Eugene Emergency Physicians, PC Mark E Brauner, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. Coauthor(s) Regina A Bailey, MD, JD, LLM Resident Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine Regina A Bailey, MD, JD, LLM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, National Medical Association, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residents' Association, American Bar Association Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. Specialty Editor Board Mary L Windle, PharmD Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. James Quan-Yu Hwang, MD, RDMS, RDCS, FACEP Staff Physician, Emergency Department, Kaiser Permanente James Quan-Yu Hwang, MD, RDMS, RDCS, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Disclosure: Received salary from 3rd Rock Ultrasound, LLC for speaking and teaching; Received consulting fee from Schlesinger Associates for consulting; Received consulting fee from Philips Ultrasound for consulting. Chief Editor Zab Mosenifar, MD, FACP, FCCP Geri and Richard Brawerman Chair in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Professor and Executive Vice Chairman, Department of Medicine, Medical Director, Women's Guild Lung Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine Zab Mosenifar, MD, FACP, FCCP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, American Thoracic Society Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. Additional Contributors Gil Z Shlamovitz, MD, FACEP Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California; Chief Medical Information Officer, Keck Medicine of USC Gil Z Shlamovitz, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
Thoracentesis is a procedure to remove fluid or air from around the lungs. A needle is put through the chest wall into the pleural space. The pleural space is the thin gap between the pleura of the lung and of the inner chest wall. The pleura is a double layer of membranes that surrounds the lungs. Inside the space is a small amount of fluid. The fluid prevents the pleura from rubbing together when you breathe. Excess fluid in the pleural space is called pleural effusion. When this happens, it’s harder to breathe because the lungs can’t inflate fully. This can cause shortness of breath and pain. These symptoms may be worse with physical activity. Why might I need thoracentesis?Thoracentesis may be done to find the cause of pleural effusion. It can also be done to treat symptoms of pleural effusion by removing fluid. The fluid is then examined in a lab. Thoracentesis can help diagnose health problems such as:
Your healthcare provider may have other reasons to advise thoracentesis. What are the risks of thoracentesis?All procedures have some risks. The risks of this procedure may include:
Your risks may vary depending on your general health and other factors. Ask your healthcare provider which risks apply most to you. Talk about any concerns you have. Thoracentesis should not be done in people with certain bleeding conditions. How do I get ready for thoracentesis?Your healthcare provider will explain the procedure to you. Ask any questions you have. You may be asked to sign a consent form that gives permission to do the procedure. Read the form carefully. Ask questions if anything is not clear. Tell your healthcare provider if you:
Make sure to:
You may have imaging tests before the procedure. These are done to find the location of the fluid to be removed. You may have any of the below:
What happens during thoracentesis?You may have your procedure as an outpatient. This means you go home the same day. Or it may be done as part of a longer stay in the hospital. The way the procedure is done may vary. It depends on your condition and your healthcare provider's methods. In most cases, a thoracentesis will follow this process:
What happens after thoracentesis?After the procedure, your blood pressure, pulse, and breathing will be watched. The dressing over the puncture site will be checked for bleeding or other fluid. If you had an outpatient procedure, you will go home when your healthcare provider says it’s OK. Someone will need to drive you home. At home, you can go back to your normal diet and activities if instructed by your healthcare provider. You may need to not do strenuous physical activity for a few days. Call your healthcare provider if you have any of the below:
Your healthcare provider may give you other instructions after the procedure. Next stepsBefore you agree to the test or the procedure make sure you know:
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