STUDY OF CLINICAL PROFILE AND DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH IN PATIENTS WITH PLEURAL EFFUSION

Background: Pleural effusion is a common clinical problem with various underlying causes.

Objective: To investigate the clinical profile and diagnostic approach in patients with pleural effusion.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with pleural effusion at Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, Dahanu.

Results: In our study, right sided pleural effusion was more common, seen in 48% of patients. In our present study, 62 % patients were with tuberculosis, 12 % with pneumonia, 10 % with CCF, 8% with malignancy, 4 % liver cirrhosis and 4 % septic shock etc. In our present study, out of 51 patients, transudate was present in 13 patients (26%), while exudate was present in 38 patients (74%).  The accuracy of the Lights criteria for identifying exudates was 91% [confidence intervals (CI), 84-95%], with a sensitivity of 95.55 % (CI, 93-100%) and specificity of 69% (CI, 52-83%).

Conclusion: A systematic diagnostic approach is essential in patients with pleural effusion to determine the underlying cause and guide appropriate management.