Thoracentesis

Pleural fluid aspiration; Pleural tap

The test is done in the following way:

• You sit on a bed or on the edge of a chair or bed. Your head and arms rest on a table.
• The skin around the procedure site is cleaned. A local numbing medicine (anesthetic) is injected into the skin.
• A needle is placed through the skin and muscles of the chest wall into the space around the lungs, called the pleural space.
• Fluid is drawn out with the needle.
• The fluid may be sent to a laboratory for testing (pleural fluid analysis).

No special preparation is needed before the test. A chest x-ray will probably be done before and after the test.

Do not cough, breathe deeply, or move during the test to avoid injury to the lung.

You will feel a stinging sensation when the local anesthetic is injected. You may feel pain or pressure when the needle is inserted into the pleural space.

Tell your health care provider if you feel short of breath or have chest pain.

Normally, very little fluid is in the pleural space. A buildup of too much fluid between the layers of the pleura is called a pleural effusion.

The test is performed to determine the cause of the extra fluid, or to relieve symptoms from the fluid buildup.

The test may be also performed for the following conditions:

• Asbestos-related pleural effusion
• Collagen vascular disease
• Drug reactions
• Hemothorax
• Lung cancer
• Pancreatitis
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease
• Thyroid disease

Normally the pleural cavity contains only a very small amount of fluid.

Testing the fluid will help your health care provider determine the cause of pleural effusion. Possible causes include:

• Cancer
• Cirrhosis
• Heart failure
• Infection
• Inflammation
• Malnutrition
• 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.

Risks may include any of the following:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Pneumothorax
• Respiratory distress

A chest x-ray is done after the procedure to detect possible complications.