Marginated density overlying the peripheral left pleural surface,stable mediastinal and hilar contours what is

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From chest x ray..smooth opacity at the lateral aspect of the left hemithorax? Pleural thickening?
Pleural thickening if it is not broad & appears like a thread, sort of. More likely, it could b a calcified lymph node. One would b more sure if one can have a look at the x-ray.  (+ info)

Does pleural effusion create pressure on the lungs?

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Similar to a tension pneumothorax?
Yes, pleural effusion creates pressure on the lungs. The pleura surrounds the lung, so filling it full of fluid (an effusion) puts pressure on the lungs and makes it difficult to get air into the lungs and also decreases the exchange of gases between blood and inhaled air.

Pleural effusion is a bear hug on your lungs.

Tension pneumothorax is different. Keep in mind normally the lungs are under LESS pressure than the atmosphere, that's why air gies into the lungs. Tension pneumo is a hole in the chest wall or lung that causes air to get into the chest cavity on one side. This means atmospheric pressure on one side of the thorax (chest cavity). It PUSHES the other lung, the mediastinum and the heart towards the other side.

Tension pneumo is a PUSH on the lungs. So it increases pressure by pushing the lung away.  (+ info)

If mesothelioma is present, what is the color of pleural effusion?

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My brother had difficulty breathing, pain upon taking deep breath, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite. Thickening and fluid was found on his right pleura. He discribed the fluid as looking like Budweiser----amber colored and foamy. He also has pleural thickening, all on the right side.I have read the color of the fluid is characteristic of transudate which may indicate congestive heart failure.
The doctor suspects mesothelioma, but the fluid does not appear cloudy( exudate).
The sputum could be yellow or blood-tinged.  (+ info)

Would a fluid restriction be good for pleural effusion?

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THis is confusing me because the person may have a lot of pulmonary edema and a lot of fluid in the dependant part of the lung, yet their hypotensive because the intravasuclar fluid is now stuck in the lungs. So Im not sure if they would get a fluid restriction or not.
Any experts on this? How do you treat this?
THank
It really depends on the cause of the effusion. If the effusion was due to CHF than yes, fluid restriction would help. If the causative agent was bacterial than no. Those are just general guidelines.
Treatment would depend , again, on the cause and the severity. It might require a chest tube be placed to drain the fluid. Sometimes just a thoracentesis will help fix the problem.
Without any more detail it's hard to say more.
But that is an excellent question.
And btw the fluid is not trapped in the intravacular spaces. Most often it is third spacing due to the high capillary pressure. Or it could be free fluid just sitting in the pleural space.
God bless.  (+ info)

Breath sounds in pleural effusion vs consolidation?

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I'm hoping someone can please explain to me why pleural effusion are known to have dec breath sounds and consolidation would have inc breath sounds. i thought the fluid transmitting sound would lead to both pathologies having inc breath sounds.

thanks so much for your help.
Breath sounds are decreased in both conditions. Vocal sounds are increased in both conditions simply because consolidation and thick fluid transmit sound better than air.Ask your patient to say 1.2.3 while you are listening to both sides, the consolidated side will be louder. Percussion is dulled with both also. Rales might be heard in pneumonia and /or wheezing but once it is fully consolidated the bs are silent although you might hear breath sounds transmitted from the upper airways.
Place both of your hands flat across the the pt's posterior lower lobes.
Ask them to take a deep breath, if one side expands more than the other you've found where the consolidation is.You can do all of this or you can just get a chest x ray.
God bless.  (+ info)

Whats the difference between a pleural effusion and and a pleural infiltrate?

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Below from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/000086.htm
A pleural effusion is an accumulation of fluid between the layers of the membrane that lines the lungs and chest cavity.
Causes MAY include lung cancer, pneumonia, tuberculosis and other lung infections, drug reactions, asbestosis, and sarcoidosis.
Symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain (usually sharp and worse with coughing or deep breaths), hiccups, and rapid breathing
I have not heard of a pleural infiltrate. An infiltrate is the filling of spaces that normally have air in them with fluid. A pulmonary infiltrate is on the inside of the lung, an effusion is outside of the lung.  (+ info)

Would pleurisy be classified as a respiratory disease/disorder or pleural disease/disorder?

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I've had pleurisy forever and know the in's and out other than how to classify it. is it a disease or disorder or is that too extreme? is it just a never-ending never-going away never-getting treated infection or a lung virus?! ALSO, i know pleurisy can cause complications with other viruses and diseases but can one just die from having pleurisy...can it be fatal?
  (+ info)

What role do the pleural membranes have in breathing?

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What role do the pleural membranes have in breathing?
Your lungs are surrounded by two membranes, the pleural membranes. One coats the inside of the chest wall and the other coats the outer wall of the lungs. These allow the lungs to easily glide when breathing in and out. They can become inflamed, which will make it painful for a person to breath. There is also something called a pleural effusion. That is when a liquid begins to build up in the space. In that case it can cause the surrounding lung to collapse. The pleural membranes aren't very well known but they play such an important role.   (+ info)

what to do with: PERIPHERAL PLEURAL based CONSOLIDATION IN LATEROBASAL SEGMENT OF RIGHT LOWER LOBE?

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I GOT CAR ACCIDENT AND i DON NO WAT TO DO ?
Hey, guy....you ain't been deep breathing and now you got a pnuemonia in the Right lower part of the lung....

You need a flutter valve or you need to deep breath....either way, your gonna have to cough and get that junk out of your system....

Oh, a "flutter valve" is a device that interupts your air flow as you breath out, very rapidly...And yeah, you need a dr's Rx for it.

So, sigh your way out of this situation, 15 deep breath per hour during waking hours [please don't try deep breathing while sleeping...it just don't work that well...the main reason, you just don't do it...you're sleeping, man!]  (+ info)

What is the function of the pleural menbranes?

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The lungs are surrounded by two membranes, the pleurae. The outer pleura is attached to the chest wall and is known as the Parietal pleura; the inner one is attached to the lung and other visceral tissues and is known as the Visceral pleura. In between the two is a thin space known as the pleural cavity or pleural space. It is filled with pleural fluid, a serous fluid produced by the pleura.

The pleural fluid lubricates the pleural surfaces and allows the layers of pleura to slide against each other easily during respiration. It also provides the surface tension that keeps the lung surface in contact with the chest wall. During quiet breathing, the cavity normally experiences a negative pressure (compared to the atmosphere) which helps adhere the lungs to the chest wall, so that movements of the chest wall during breathing are coupled closely to movements of the lungs.

The pleural membrane also helps to keep the two lungs away from each other and air tight, thus if one lung is punctured and collapses due to an accident, the other pleural cavity will still be air tight, and the other lung will work normally

The parietal pleura is highly sensitive to pain; the visceral pleura is not. The visceral pleura has a dual blood supply, from the bronchial and pulmonary arteries. In humans, there is no anatomical connection between the left and right pleural cavities, so in cases of pneumothorax (see below), the other hemithorax will still be able to function normally.

You could get more information from the link below...  (+ info)

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