Abstract No. 570 Incidence of expansion pulmonary edema following large-volume thoracentesis: does volume of fluid removed correlate with risk?

Abstract

Current guidelines and recommendations prefer the removal of no more than 1,500 mL per lung during a single thoracentesis to reduce the risk of re-expansion of pulmonary edema (RPE)1. However, total drainage of a pleural effusion can markedly improve patient symptoms and reduce the need for future procedures. This retrospective study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy associated with the drainage volumes greater than 1,500 mL in a single, unilateral thoracentesis without pleural manometry measurements.