Word parts
What it means
Describes the pleura or the narrow pleural space between its two layers, which normally holds a thin film of fluid. A pleural effusion is extra fluid in that space; a pneumothorax is air in it. Fluid can be removed with a needle (thoracentesis), and a chest tube drains air or fluid.
For the nurse
Keep a chest tube drainage system below the chest and the tubing free of loops and kinks. Watch for and report trouble breathing, falling oxygen saturation or a sudden change in drainage.
At a glance
| Spanish | pleural |
|---|---|
| Also written | pleura, pleurae |
Related terms
respiratory system
The organs that bring air into the body and move oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of it.
pleur/o
A word root that means the pleura, the thin two-layer covering of the lungs, or the side of the chest.
friction
The rubbing of one surface against another, such as skin against bed sheets.