Practical management of pleural effusions. When and how should fluid accumulations be drained?

Management of pleural effusions requires recognition of the cause and initiation of disease-specific therapy. However, it is important to be forewarned that breathing problems do not always improve in these patients, since other disease processes may be contributing to dyspnea. Many options are available for draining effusions and preventing recurrence, but decisions often need to be made quickly so the process does not progress to the point at which intervention becomes much more difficult.