PLEURAL EFFUSION

PLEURAL EFFUSION Exudate Use Light's Criteria Transudate Pleural Effusion Pulmonary GastrointestinalIf > 1 cm on Lateral Decubitus X-Ray, Perform Diagnostic Thoracocentesis Heart Failure Liver Failure Infectious Neoplastic Inflammatory (RA, SLE) Pulmonary Embolus* Chylothorax Hemothorax Ruptured Esophagus* Pancreatitis Systolic Diastolic Valvular Disease CirrhosisKidney Failure Nephrotic Syndrome Light's Criteria Pleural Fluid Protein/Serum Protein > 0.5 Pleural Fluid Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)/Serum LDH > 0.6 Pleural Fluid LDH > 2/3 Serum Upper Limit of Normal* Denotes acutely life-threatening causes