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Consequences of Pleural Effusions for Respiratory Mechanics in Ventilated Patients

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Intensive Care Medicine

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Abstract

Pleural effusion can be part of the primary condition that precipitates the admission of a patient to an intensive care unit (ICU), or it may develop during the course of an ICU stay [1]. In the former case, such as pneumonia or thoracic trauma, the decision to drain the fluid collection is dictated by the infectious or hemorrhagic nature of the liquid. After admission, the cause usually relates to combinations of factors leading to lung edema, such as generous fluid administration, myocardial depression, increased capillary permeability, and hypoalbuminemia. If there is no suspicion of empyema or hemothorax, the decision to intervene in this scenario is less straightforward. Increasing expertise with ultrasound among intensivists may fuel temptation to drain all pleural fluid accumulations in mechanically ventilated patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pulmonary Research, Regions Hospital, 640 Jackson St, St. Paul, MN, 55101, USA

    J. Graf, P. Formenti & J. J. Marini

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  1. J. Graf
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  2. P. Formenti
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Intensive Care Erasme Hospital, Université libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-Louis Vincent MD, PhD, FCCM, FCCP (Head) (Head)

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Graf, J., Formenti, P., Marini, J.J. (2010). Consequences of Pleural Effusions for Respiratory Mechanics in Ventilated Patients. In: Vincent, JL. (eds) Intensive Care Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5562-3_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5562-3_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-5561-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-5562-3

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