Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Pleural Effusion I: Introduction01:25

Pleural Effusion I: Introduction

Pleural effusion is an abnormal fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity, a narrow space between the lungs and the chest wall. It is not a disease per se but rather a symptom or indication of an underlying disease. In normal circumstances, this space contains a small amount of fluid (5 to 15 mL), a lubricant facilitating the non-frictional movement of the pleural surfaces.
There are two main types of pleural effusion: transudative and exudative. They are differentiated using Light's criteria,...
Pleural Effusion II: Symptoms and Management01:28

Pleural Effusion II: Symptoms and Management

Pleural Effusion Overview
A pleural effusion is the abnormal collection of fluid between the parietal and visceral pleura layers of tissue that form the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It can occur independently or due to surrounding parenchymal diseases, such as infection, malignancy, or inflammatory conditions.
Clinical Manifestations:
Inflammatory Response II: Inflammatory Exudate and Tissue Repair01:24

Inflammatory Response II: Inflammatory Exudate and Tissue Repair

The immune system's inflammatory response destroys the invading pathogen, permitting the tissue to heal. The changes during the cellular and vascular stages allow exudate formation at the site of inflammation. The inflammatory exudate released from the wound has high protein content and a specific gravity above 1.020.
The typical wound exudate is odorless, transparent, straw-colored, thin, and watery. Exudate, however, can differ depending on the state of wound healing. Likewise, the exudate's...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The accuracy of thoracic ultrasound in differentiating transudative from exudative effusions: A meta-analysis.

Respiratory medicine·2025
Same author

The lung is not a balloon: the self-sealing property of the lung.

The Lancet. Respiratory medicine·2024
Same author

Ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy following a non-diagnostic thoracentesis for non-small cell lung cancer.

Respiratory medicine case reports·2023
Same author

Pressure-Dependent Pneumothorax and Air Leak: Physiology and Clinical Implications.

Chest·2023
Same author

The Tale of Two Pneumothoraces after Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction.

Annals of the American Thoracic Society·2022
Same author

Effect of Androgen Suppression on Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized Men With COVID-19: The HITCH Randomized Clinical Trial.

JAMA network open·2022

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Bedside Ultrasound for Guiding Fluid Removal in Patients with Pulmonary Edema: The Reverse-FALLS Protocol
07:59

Bedside Ultrasound for Guiding Fluid Removal in Patients with Pulmonary Edema: The Reverse-FALLS Protocol

Published on: July 28, 2018

Improving the predictive accuracy of identifying exudative effusions.

Carlos E Kummerfeldt1, Cody C Chiuzan2, John T Huggins1

  • 1Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine.

Chest
|September 7, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Light's criteria misclassify some transudative effusions. New gradient measurements, including serum to pleural fluid albumin (SF-A) and protein (SF-P), improve the accuracy of identifying exudative pleural effusions.

More Related Videos

Supervised Machine Learning for Semi-Quantification of Extracellular DNA in Glomerulonephritis
09:16

Supervised Machine Learning for Semi-Quantification of Extracellular DNA in Glomerulonephritis

Published on: June 18, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Bedside Ultrasound for Guiding Fluid Removal in Patients with Pulmonary Edema: The Reverse-FALLS Protocol
07:59

Bedside Ultrasound for Guiding Fluid Removal in Patients with Pulmonary Edema: The Reverse-FALLS Protocol

Published on: July 28, 2018

Supervised Machine Learning for Semi-Quantification of Extracellular DNA in Glomerulonephritis
09:16

Supervised Machine Learning for Semi-Quantification of Extracellular DNA in Glomerulonephritis

Published on: June 18, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology
  • Internal Medicine
  • Diagnostic Accuracy

Background:

  • Light's criteria can misclassify transudative effusions, particularly those related to congestive heart failure (CHF), as exudative.
  • Accurate differentiation of pleural effusion types is crucial for appropriate patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if serum to pleural fluid albumin (SF-A) and serum to pleural fluid protein (SF-P) gradients enhance the accuracy of identifying exudative pleural effusions.
  • To compare the predictive accuracy of these gradients against Light's criteria.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 1,153 patients undergoing thoracentesis.
  • Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of various pleural fluid tests.
  • Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to determine predictive accuracy.

Main Results:

  • Pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), SF-A gradient, and SF-P gradient significantly predicted exudative effusions.
  • A combined model using LDH, SF-A, and SF-P gradients achieved a high AUC of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.85-0.98).

Conclusions:

  • Light's criteria frequently misclassify CHF-related transudative effusions as exudates.
  • Sequential use of fluid LDH, SF-P gradient, and SF-A gradient may help reclassify effusions, especially when CHF is suspected or the cause is unclear.