Learn About Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion
Pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid in the pleural space. The pleural space is the area between the layers of the tissue lining the lung and the chest cavity.
In a person with parapneumonic pleural effusion, the fluid buildup is caused by pneumonia.
Pleural effusion - pneumonia
Pneumonia, most commonly from bacteria, causes parapneumonic pleural effusion.
Symptoms can include any of the following:
- Chest pain, usually a sharp pain that is worse with cough or deep breaths
- Cough with sputum
- Fever
- Rapid breathing
- Shortness of breath
Antibiotics are prescribed to treat the pneumonia.
If the person has shortness of breath, thoracentesis might be used to drain the fluid. If better drainage of the fluid is needed due to more severe infection, a drain tube can be inserted.
Harvard Medical Faculty Phys At Beth Israel Deaconess Med Ctr Inc
Adnan Majid is a Pulmonary Medicine provider in Brighton, Massachusetts. Dr. Majid is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion. His top areas of expertise are Tracheobronchomalacia, Pleural Effusion, Acquired Tracheomalacia, Advanced Bronchoscopy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Majid is currently accepting new patients.
Jose Porcel-Manuel practices in Lleida, Spain. Mr. Porcel-Manuel is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion. His top areas of expertise are Pleural Effusion, Empyema, Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion, Tissue Biopsy, and Endoscopy.
Majed Odeh practices in Haifa, Israel. Mr. Odeh is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion. His top areas of expertise are Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion, Pleural Effusion, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency.
This condition improves when the pneumonia improves.
Complications may include:
- Lung damage
- Infection that turns into an abscess, called an empyema, which will need to be drained with a chest tube
- Collapsed lung (pneumothorax) after thoracentesis
- Scarring of the pleural space (lining of the lung)
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of pleural effusion.
Contact your provider or go to the emergency room if shortness of breath or difficulty breathing occurs right after thoracentesis.
Summary: The purpose of this study is to see if there is any benefit in adding saline irrigation through a chest tube to the standard course of treatment for people diagnosed or suspected of having a pleural space infection.
Objective: To identify known and unknown bacterial pathogens in patients with pleural infections using a combination of conventional culture and next-generation sequencing approaches. Hypothesis to be tested: The investigators hypothesize that next-generation sequencing will serve as a comprehensive approach to identify culturable and unculturable bacterial pathogens in patients with pleural infections compa...
Published Date: August 19, 2024
Published By: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, VA New Jersey Health Care System, Clinical Assistant Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Blok BK. Thoracentesis. In: Roberts JR, Custalow CB, Thomsen TW, eds. Roberts and Hedges' Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 9.
Broaddus VC, Light RW. Pleural effusion. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 108.
Reed JC. Pleural effusions. In: Reed JC, ed. Chest Radiology: Patterns and Differential Diagnoses. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 4.