Table of Contents
- Overview
- Results
- Risks
- Prevention
Pleural fluid aspiration; Pleural tap
Normal Values
Normally the pleural cavity contains only a very small amount of fluid.
What abnormal results mean
Testing the fluid will help your health care provider determine the cause of pleural effusion. Possible causes include:
- Cancer
Cirrhosis Heart failure - Infection
- Inflammation
- Malnutrition
- Kidney disease
If your health care provider suspects that you have an infection, a culture of the fluid may be done to test for bacteria.
Previous Section
Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of
Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
