Pleural effusion in critically ill patients and intensive care setting

Table 4 The importance of pleural effusion in the intensive care unit setting and factors affecting the success rate of pleural effusion drainage:

Importance of pleural effusion in the ICU setting
1	Sometimes, the cause of ICU admission is the underlying cause of the pleural effusion
2	Difficult diagnosis of pleural effusion in the ICU: Clinical, Radiological, and Laboratory-related difficulties
3	Impaired turnover and cycling of pleural fluid in critically ill patients
4	The presence of pleural effusion affects the outcome and prognosis of ICU patients
5	Drainage of pleural effusion can modify the outcome and/or alter the diagnosis of patients
Factors affecting the success rate of pleural effusion drainage
1	Timing of drainage: Early versus late drainage
2	Patient-related factors: Proper selection of the patients
3	Etiology of the effusion: Traumatic versus post-operative versus empyema
4	Technical-related: Image-guided aspiration or not, Proper technique of drainage, Type of catheter used (pigtail catheter versus standard tube)

ICU: Intensive care unit.