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Thoracentesis - Results

Alternative Names

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
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.

The test may be also performed for the following conditions:

Reviewed last on: 9/13/2008
Benjamin Medoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Blok B, Ibrado A. Thoracentesis. In: Roberts JR, Hedges JR, eds. Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2004:chap 9.

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