RT Book, Section
A1 Reichman, Eric F.
SR Print(0)
ID 57704101
T1 Chapter 40. Thoracentesis
T2 Emergency Medicine Procedures, 2e
YR 2013
FD 2013
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-161352-1
LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=57704101
RD 2024/04/20
AB Thoracentesis  is  a  term  derived  from  the  Greek  meaning  “to  pierce  the  chest.”  It  is  used  today  to  refer  to  the  removal  of  air  or  fluid  from  the  thoracic  cavity.  Accumulation  of  pleural  fluid  is  not  a  specific  diagnosis  but  rather  a  reflection  of  an  underlying  process.  In  almost  all  newly  discovered  pleural  effusions,  thoracentesis  should  be  performed  to  aid  in  the  diagnosis  and  management  of  the  underlying  etiology.