Pleural fluid is a liquid lubricant which is found in the layers of the pleura. The pleura is a thin sheet of tissue that cushions the lungs and the chest cavity. As a result of pleural fluid build-up  the lungs in the human body find it difficult to inflate. It makes it difficult for a person to breathe or results in coughing. Pleural fluid examination is a group of tests undertaken to understand the root cause of pleural effusion by examining the fluid removed from the lungs.

Pleural Fluid Examination analyzes the fluid collected from the lungs to find put the cause of fluid build up in the lungs as well as its nature.

Your doctor will recommend pleural fluid examination when he suspects pleural effusion. The symptoms for this are a dry, unproductive cough that doesn’t go away, severe or constant chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fatigue. Sometimes people with pleural effusion have no symptoms. A doctor finds excess fluid in a chest X-ray conducted for other reasons.

• The patient sits on a chair or bed with arms resting on a table
• The doctor sanitizes the back and injects a numbing medicine
• The doctor inserts a needle between the ribs to withdraw fluid while the patient breathes out
• It results in the removal of excess fluid