Understanding Pleural Effusions

This video contains a detailed and simplified explanation about pleural effusions. We discuss the pathophysiology, causes, presentation, investigations, complications and management of pleural effusions.

*CORRECTION* The cutoff for exudative effusions is more than 3g per dL (decilitre) rather than 3g/l as stated in the video.

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DISCLAIMER: This video is for education and entertainment only, and is not medical advice. This video should NOT be used for medical advice or to guide clinical practice. The Zero to Finals content should not be used in any way to guide medical decision making. Zero to Finals takes no responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information provided. Local and national guidelines and senior clinicians are there to help you make decisions, not YouTube videos. If you need medical advice or information, seek it from an appropriately trained and licenced doctor or healthcare provider that can address your individual needs. Zero to Finals cannot guarantee the accuracy of information in this video. Please highlight any errors you notice in the comments below - thank you.

[chutam]

Thank you for this video, it reminded me of my experience in 2011.

I had pleural effusion and had 0.5L drained from my right lung. I was in hospital for 2 months and underwent many tests including a lung biopsy but they couldn't find root cause so said it was most likely tuberculosis (despite no symtoms) because I visited Vietnam. Told them that when I was in Vietnam, I felt intense sharp pain around my right kidney after drinking beer and thought it was somehow related. They dismissed it and proceeded to prescribe 6 months of TB medication.

During that time I didn't drink any acohol but after that, I had a shot of vodka to celebrate a friend's birthday and had the exact intense sharp pain. A colleague from work said that wheat is common in beer and vodka so I decided to try drinking wine and other non-wheat beverages and haven't had any recurrence of the pain.

I've now removed gluten from my diet as I was getting rashes and IBS whenever I ate bread/pizza/pasta/etc. Feeling much healthier now and no longer breaking out in a rash whenever I do anything strenuous - couldn't even cut the grass at one stage.


I hope someone out there might benefit from this.

[anisiajicol]

all your resources are incredibly useful, I cannot thank you enough for providing such high quality content.
from a 3rd year med student

[gamingboyharsh]

I suffered from pleural effusion when I was just 11 years old and my symptoms were high fever, loss of appetite, sharp pain in chest while jumping, laughing and deep breathing, as my pleural effusion was on my left chest doctor couldn't hear heart beat from my left chest, they told me to immediately hospitalized my self and they took the fluid out of my chest through needle tap and I was discharged by the third day and fit and fine.

[janeulalia]

I love the way these topics are explained! The visuals are really excellent and engaging. You have real talent! Xx

[kadenmartindale]

I had a right side Pleural Effusion when I was six years old, I am 16 now and though I didn't really know what was going on then, I am glad to know more about it now. I am extremely grateful for the doctor that saw the my symptoms early, so that it was all taken care of.

[sagittario]

I'm not a med student, but my grandmother passed away suddenly and this condition was the cause of her death. I have now understood it very well

[ramonikasimmons]

Thank you so much for this YouTube channel You are so good at explaining things and simple straight terms THANK YOU!

[hemanthkumarbv]

very good presentation and information about lungs as one of my relative is already facing plueral effusion and it has reoccurred and i was so much worried till now, but by this vedio its clean and clear that it is not lung cancer but it is only plueral infection.. thanks once again, it is very knowledgeable information

[rakafarjana]

Incredible presentation 😊thank you, ❤I'm a first year med student from Bangladesh
I've studied pleural effusion recently, after watching this video I'm now fully clear 😊keep it up!

[ΑναστάσηςΡουμελιώτης]

You really helped a troubled upcoming doctor mate . Thanks a lot keep the good work, make medicine simple and fun 🙏🙏

[danielmestas]

I had an empyema about 10 years ago due to a pneumonia on my left side. I went from feeling a little tired and having a slight pain on my left side to struggling to breathe in about 10 minutes. I dialed 911 immediately. I was misdiagnosed with a heart attack and I was hospitalized for a total of 19 days. The draining of my left lung didn't work and I eventually had a Decortication procedure. It was rough. I was told that I might need oxygen from that point on but I was fortunate enough to live without it after the first month following surgery. To this day I experience a shortness of breath especially while laying down.

[TruePathLiving]

my mom is in the hsopital with pleural effusion, potentially caused by heart failure. Doctor told us her protein count was low, but they still suspect cancer and heart failure. this is helping me understand. She smokes, she drinks she eats horribly. While i was with her she would sneak out for cigarettes. I told the nurse they gave her patches

[benifrani]

Thank you, back in Jan I had covid and could feel hot liquid in my chest, but a GP at the urgent care centre checked me and said he could not feel anything and said I was fine, now I had an MRI and it showed small Pleural Effusion. always believe patients when they complain of something.

[missmarshmeowllow]

Hello, I'm a nursing student in a Respiratory Ward. This video helped me a lot to understand things a lot easier. I'm truly grateful for this.

Looking forward to your other educational videos.

Stay well!~

[SuspenseESCAPEremastered]

I had this with NO symptoms until it turned into empyema. Damn near killed me. Spent 5 weeks in hospital, and the cause was never certain.

[sabeehubaid]

thankyou so much for this video. You made my 12 pages ppt understandable in just 7 minutes.

[howtomedicate]

Great video, totaly clear! Keep it up 🔥

[marand]

Found this video informative and explained what I am experiencing

[choya]

Yes incredibly informative even for a layman like me, Can't thank you enough!

[ajaykumarhanda]

A very articulate presentation. Thank you👍