Table 1 Indications and contraindications to pleural drainage positioning
From: An easier and safe affair, pleural drainage with ultrasound in critical patient: a technical note
Indications | Contraindications (relative) |
|---|---|
Recurrent malignant pleural effusion Symptomatic patients caused by the effusions Massive transudative or exsudative pleural effusion Parapneumonic effusions Weaning from mechanical ventilation | Coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia Small to medium size pleural effusions in cardiac patients with more than moderate left ventricular dysfunction Pulmonary bullae Pulmonary, pleural or thoracic adhesions Loculated pleural effusion or empyema Recurrent pleural infections Skin infection over the chest tube insertion site |