title: Pleural disease in the emergency department.
abstract: Emergency department presentations of pleural-based diseases are common, with severity ranging from mild to life threatening. The acute assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of pleural disease are critical as urgent invasive maneuvers such as thoracocentesis and thoracostomy may be indicated. The emergency physician must have a systematic approach to these conditions that allows for rapid recognition, diagnosis, and definitive management. This article focuses on nontraumatic pleural disease, including diagnostic and treatment considerations of pleural effusion, empyema, primary spontaneous pneumothorax, secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, pediatric pneumothorax, spontaneous hemothorax, and spontaneous tension pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Manitoba, T258E Old Basic Science Building, 770 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0W3, Canada. weldy@mac.com
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weldon
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy