Pleural effusion
Etiology
Pathophysiology
Clinical features
Diagnostics
Light criteria
Tip
- Total protein normal level 6.0 to 8.3 g/dL (60 to 83 g/L)
- Albumin normal level 3.4 to 5.4 g/dL (34 to 54 g/L)
- LDH normal level 105 to 333 U/L
Satisfying any ONE criterium means it is exudative:
- Pleural Total Protein/Serum Total Protein ratio > 0.5
- Pleural lactate dehydrogenase/Serum lactate dehydrogenase ratio > 0.6
- Pleural lactate dehydrogenase level > 2/3 upper limit of the laboratory's reference range of serum lactate dehydrogenase.
Treatment
Subtypes
Pleural empyema
- Accumulation of pus in the pleural cavity
- Exudative effusion (bacterial colonization)
- Differ from uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion, which is just exudative effusion (without direct bacterial invasion)