Clinical Manifestation + Assessment and Diagnostic Findings

Clinical Manifestations

The clinical manifestations of this disease are caused by the underlying disease such as:

 congestive heart failure

 cancer
 pneumonia
 pulmonary embolism

A pleural effusion can be serious and potentially life-threatening, but it is treatable.

Pleural effusion’s sign and symptoms

 Fever
 Chills
 pleuritic chest pain, whereas a malignant effusion may result in dyspnea
 difficulty lying flat
 coughing.

Assessment and Diagnostic Findings

Assessment of the area of the pleural effusion reveals

 decreased or absent breath sounds

 decreased fremitus
 dull, flat sound on percussion.

Physical examination

 chest x-ray or lateral decubitus x-ray

 chest CT,
 thora-centesis

Pleural fluid is analyzed by

 bacterial culture
 Gram stain
 AFB stain (for TB),
 red and white blood cell counts
 chemistry studies (glucose, amylase, LDH, and protein)
 cytologic analysis for malignant cells
 pH Level.
 pleural biopsy also may be performed as a diagnostic tool
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Clinical Manifestation + Assessment and Diagnostic Findings

Clinical Manifestations

The clinical manifestations of this disease are caused by the underlying disease such as:

Why does these disease causes a pleural effusion?

 congestive heart failure- increased pressure in the blood vessels or a low blood protein count
 cancer- cancer cells spreading to the space between the pleural layers
 pneumonia- buildup of fluid in the pleural space because of pneumonia
 pulmonary embolism- increased interstitial fluid in the lungs as a result of ischemia or the
release of vasoactive cytokines

A pleural effusion can be serious and potentially life-threatening, but it is treatable.

 If cancer grows in the pleural space, it causes a "malignant pleural effusion." This condition is a
sign that the cancer has spread, or metastasized, to other areas of the body.

Pleural effusion’s sign and symptoms

 Fever
 Chills
 pleuritic chest pain, whereas a malignant effusion may result in dyspnea
 difficulty lying flat
 coughing.

The severity of symptoms is determined by the size of the effusion, the speed of its formation, and the
underlying lung disease.

 A large pleural effusion causes dyspnea.

 A small-to-moderate pleural effusion causes minimal or no dyspnea.

Assessment and Diagnostic Findings

Assessment of the area of the pleural effusion reveals decreased or absent breath sounds; decreased
fremitus; and a dull, flat sound on percussion.

In the case of an extremely large pleural effusion, the assessment reveals a patient in acute respiratory
distress.

Tracheal deviation away from the affected side may also be apparent.

 Pressure in chest cavity

  And it also the reason why patient with pleural effusion experiencing coughing, difficulty
breathing, wheezing, and chest pain.

Physical examination

 chest x-ray or lateral decubitus x-ray

 chest CT,
 thora-centesis

And this physical examination confirms the presence of fluid in the area

Lateral decubitus x-ray, the patient lies on the affected side in a side-lying position. A pleural effusion
can be diagnosed because this position allows for the "layering out" of the fluid, and an air-fluid line is
visible.

Pleural fluid is analyzed by

 bacterial culture
 Gram stain
 AFB stain (for TB),
 red and white blood cell counts
 chemistry studies (glucose, amylase, LDH, and protein)
 cytologic analysis for malignant cells
 pH Level.
 pleural biopsy also may be performed as a diagnostic tool