How safe is thoracentesis? Giant case series sheds light
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Thoracentesis for pleural effusion — that is, inserting a long needle between someone's ribs to drain a fluid collection from the chest — has always come with a scary menu of potential risks, including pneumothorax, hemothorax and pulmonary edema. A new study reports a low complication rate from thousands of thoracenteses. But debate will remain whether the safety results -- achieved by a high-volume, highly specialized hospital-based team -- can be duplicated by less expert practitioners. Thoracentesis is performed over 170,000 times each year in the U.S. -- so it's surprising that there is little data on its outcomes or risks. The best previous estimate of pneumothorax risk is 6% (<2% with ultrasound guidance), based on a
How safe is thoracentesis? Giant case series sheds light
How safe is thoracentesis? Giant case series…
How safe is thoracentesis? Giant case series sheds light
Thoracentesis for pleural effusion — that is, inserting a long needle between someone's ribs to drain a fluid collection from the chest — has always come with a scary menu of potential risks, including pneumothorax, hemothorax and pulmonary edema. A new study reports a low complication rate from thousands of thoracenteses. But debate will remain whether the safety results -- achieved by a high-volume, highly specialized hospital-based team -- can be duplicated by less expert practitioners. Thoracentesis is performed over 170,000 times each year in the U.S. -- so it's surprising that there is little data on its outcomes or risks. The best previous estimate of pneumothorax risk is 6% (<2% with ultrasound guidance), based on a