What it means
Normally only a thin layer of fluid lets the lungs slide during breathing. Heart failure, pneumonia, cancer, kidney disease and liver disease can cause more fluid to collect, which presses on the lung. It is seen on a chest x-rayEKS-rayA picture of the inside of the body made with a small dose of radiation; also called a radiograph.Full entry or ultrasoundUL-truh-sowndAn imaging test that uses high-frequency sound waves to make pictures of the inside of the body.ultra- beyond, more thansound sound wavesFull entry and can be drained with a needle (thoracentesis) or a chest tube.
For the nurse
For a thoracentesis, help the client sit up and lean forward over a table. Afterward, watch breathing and oxygen saturation, and check the site for bleeding or leaking.
At a glance
| Spanish | derrame pleural |
|---|---|
| Also written | pleural effusions |
Related terms
heart failure
A long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.
pulmonary
Relating to the lungs.
pneumonia
An infection of one or both lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus.