TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Thoracentesis A1 - Kalanjeri, Satish A1 - Pastores, Stephen M. A2 - Oropello, John M. A2 - Pastores, Stephen M. A2 - Kvetan, Vladimir Y1 - 1 N1 - T2 - Critical Care AB - KEY POINTSThoracentesis involves the removal of pleural fluid for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.The decision to perform thoracentesis should be based on clinical judgment and take into account the perceived safety and utility of the procedure for individual patients.The use of ultrasound to localize the best site for pleural space access is strongly recommended to reduce complications particularly pneumothorax.Caution should be exercised in patients with coagulopathy and those receiving mechanical ventilation. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1136420203 ER -