ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2022
Effectiveness and Safety of Real-Time Transthoracic Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis.
Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Real-time Ultrasound-guided Lumbar Puncture: A Comparison of Two Techniques Using Simulation.The western journal of emergency medicine · 2025Trial
- Point-of-care ultrasonography in High-Care Internal Medicine.Journal of ultrasound · 2026Review
- Perfusion Patterns of Pleura-Based Pulmonary Sarcoma Metastases on Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS): A Single-Center Retrospective Pilot Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Development and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Phantom Model for Ultrasound-Guided Intercostal Chest Drain Insertion.Cureus · 2026Article
- Exploration of the feasibility of clinical application of phage treatment for multidrug-resistantEmerging microbes & infections · 2025Article
- New strategies in the management of pneumothorax.Breathe (Sheffield, England) · 2025Review
- First Reported Case of Iatrogenic Cardiac Tamponade Following Chest Drain Insertion for Tension Pneumothorax in a Premature Newborn.Case reports in pediatrics · 2025Article
- Influence of age and sex on the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid carcinoembryonic antigen for malignant pleural effusion: aFrontiers in oncology · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe purpose of the present study was to specifically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of real-time ultrasound-guided thoracentesis in a case series of pleural effusion. PATIENTS AND
methodsAn observational prospective study was conducted. From February 2018 to December 2019, a total of 361 consecutive real-time transthoracic ultrasound (TUS)-guided thoracentesis were performed in the Unit of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound of the Research Hospital "Fondazione Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" of San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy. The primary indication for thoracentesis was therapeutic in all the cases (i.e., evacuation of persistent small/moderate pleural effusions to avoid super-infection; drainage of symptomatic moderate/massive effusions). For completeness, further diagnostic investigations (including chemical, microbiological, and cytological analysis) were conducted. All the procedures were performed by two internists with more than 30 years of experience in interventional ultrasound using a multifrequency convex probe (3-8 MHz). For pleural effusions with a depth of 2-3 cm measured at the level of the costo-phrenic sinus was employed a dedicated holed convex-array probe (5 MHz).
resultsIn all the cases, the attempts at thoracentesis were successful, allowing the achievement of the therapeutic purpose of the procedure (i.e., the complete drying of the pleural space or the withdrawal of fluid till a "safe" quantity [a mean of 1.5 L, max 2 L] producing relief from symptoms) regardless of the initial extent of the pleural effusion. There were only 3 cases of pneumothorax, for a prevalence rate of complications in this population of 0.83%. No statistical difference was recorded in the rate of pneumothorax according to the initial amount of pleural fluid in the effusion (
conclusionsReal-time TUS-guided thoracentesis is a therapeutically effective and safe procedure, despite the diagnostic yield of the cytological or microbiological examinations on the collected liquid being very low. Future blinded randomized studies are required to definitely clarify the actual benefit of the real-time TUS-guided procedure over percussion-guided and other ultrasound-based procedures.
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