Clinical manifestations of pleural effusion secondary to pneumonia include pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea, while the underlying pneumonia can present with symptoms like fever and chills.
Similarly, malignant effusion often presents with persistent cough and progressive dyspnea.
Significant pleural effusions cause dyspnea, while minor to moderate effusions may cause minimal symptoms.
The management of pleural effusion has two primary goals.
First, identify the underlying cause, like heart failure, pneumonia, liver cirrhosis, malignancy, or other factors.
Second, prevent fluid reaccumulation and relieve associated breathing difficulties.
Optimal treatment protocols include thoracentesis, a procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural cavity. This procedure relieves respiratory distress and serves diagnostic purposes.
Furthermore, in large effusions, a chest tube insertion may be needed to drain fluid, and for effusions caused by malignancy, chemical pleurodesis can be performed to create adhesions between the pleural layers, preventing fluid buildup.
Depending on the underlying cause, diuretics or antibiotics may also be prescribed.