4 board-style questions on pleural effusion in the PulseMD family medicine question bank, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.
A 68-year-old man with heart failure presents with progressive dyspnea. Chest X-ray shows a large left-sided pleural effusion. Thoracentesis is performed, yielding straw-colored fluid. Pleural fluid analysis shows: protein 2.1 g/dL (serum protein 6.8 g/dL), LDH 95 IU/L (serum LDH 220 IU/L), and pleural fluid to serum LDH ratio 0.43. Using Light's criteria, how is this effusion classified?
A 55-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer treated 3 years ago presents with progressive dyspnea over 4 weeks. Chest X-ray reveals a large right-sided pleural effusion. Thoracentesis yields 1,200 mL of bloody fluid. Pleural fluid analysis shows: protein 4.8 g/dL (serum protein 6.5 g/dL), LDH 320 IU/L (serum LDH 190 IU/L), glucose 42 mg/dL, and pH 7.18. Cytology is pending. What is the most likely cause of this effusion?
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