Thoracentesis how long does it take

Coughing after the thoracentesis procedure is normal. It should stop after about an hour. You may have a small amount of fluid leaking from the site. Your nurse will give you extra gauze to put over your bandage to protect your clothing in case this happens. Once the thoracentesis is done, you will have a chest x-ray. This is to make sure that all the fluid was taken out and that your lungs are working the way they should be. You will be able to go home after your x-ray is done.

During this time, you must keep the bandage dry. If you do have leakage, apply the extra gauze with a bandage over it. If leakage continues for more than 72 hours, call your healthcare provider.

The fluid taken from your pleural cavity may be sent to the lab for testing. The results of these tests are usually ready in 4 to 5 weekdays. The healthcare provider that asked for you to have the procedure will review your results with you. How is the procedure performed?

What will I experience during and after the procedure? Who interprets the results and how do I get them? What are the benefits vs. What are the limitations of Thoracentesis? Doctors use thoracentesis to: relieve pressure on the lungs treat symptoms such as shortness of breath and pain determine the cause of excess fluid in the pleural space.

Tell your doctor about recent illnesses or other medical conditions. You should tell your physician if you have: bleeding problems or take blood thinners, including aspirin. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking had lung surgery lung disease, such as emphysema. If you need sedation, have someone accompany you and drive you home afterward. A chest x-ray may be performed before a thoracentesis. Thoracentesis usually takes about 15 minutes. You may feel pressure when the needle is inserted into the pleural space.

Your interventional radiologist may recommend a follow-up visit. Benefits Thoracentesis is generally a safe procedure. No surgical incision is necessary. Risks Any procedure that penetrates the skin carries a risk of infection. The chance of infection requiring antibiotic treatment appears to be less than one in 1, Complications may include: pneumothorax or a partial collapse of the lung caused by air entering the pleural space through the needle or rarely by the needle puncturing the lung allowing air to flow into the pleural space.

The accuracy of a thoracentesis may be affected by a patient's: use of antibiotics. Send us your feedback Did you find the information you were looking for? Yes No. Area Code:. Phone no:. Abdominal sonogram procedure. View full size with caption.

Sponsored By. Please note RadiologyInfo. Someone may also mark the appropriate side for the needle insertion. Before the procedure itself, someone will set-up the tools needed. Most commonly, people have thoracentesis when they are fully awake. However, some people opt to take a sedative before the procedure, so they will be awake but sleepy. During the procedure, most people sit while their heads and arms resting on a table. Less commonly, the medical situation might require the person to be lying down.

Someone will surgically drape the area and get it ready for the procedure. In the past, thoracentesis was often performed at the bedside without any kind of imaging. However, now it is frequently done with the help of ultrasound. This can help reduce the risk of a potential complication, like pneumothorax. So your healthcare provider may use ultrasound to help determine the best place to insert the needle. Someone will clean the skin around the area where the needle is to be inserted.

The practitioner can then slide the needle between two of your ribs, guiding it into the pleural space. You might have a feeling of discomfort or pressure as this happens. You also might cough or experience chest pain as your healthcare provider draws out the excess fluid around your lungs. Next the needle will be removed, and the area will be bandaged. In some cases, if it is expected that the fluid will reaccumulate quickly such as in chest trauma a drain might be connected before the needle is removed.

This allows excess fluid to continue to be removed continuously. People need to be monitored after getting thoracentesis, even if they are having the procedure as an outpatient. If you are doing well, you may be able to go home in an hour or so. The most common potentially serious complication of thoracentesis is pneumothorax. Some other possible problems include:. In some cases, these complications might mean that you will need to stay longer at the hospital.

Some might require treatment, such as insertion of a chest tube if you get a large pneumothorax. Other times, monitoring will be enough. The good news is that serious complications are relatively rare, especially when healthcare providers are experienced and use ultrasound guidance to perform the procedure. If you are having outpatient thoracentesis, contact your healthcare provider promptly if you experience symptoms after going home, like:. However, you might need to get medical imaging afterward if your symptoms suggest that you might have a complication from thoracentesis, such as shortness of breath or chest pain from a pneumothorax.

This might mean getting an ultrasound at the bedside, or it might mean getting an X-ray. You also might need imaging under other circumstances that increase your risk of complications, such as having multiple needle insertions, having advanced lung disease, if you are on mechanical ventilation, or if a large volume of fluid was removed.

If you are having a diagnostic thoracentesis, your fluid will be sent to the lab for analysis. The tests done here may take a day or more to come back. Your clinician can let you know about the specific results in your situation. These results may help your healthcare provider diagnose your specific medical condition. Fluid from different causes has some different characteristics. The fluid appearance provides some key clues about the general cause of fluid accumulation.

Some common tests that might be run on the fluid include the following:. Other tests may be necessary under specific circumstances, like tests for tumor markers or tests for markers of congestive heart failure. Special considerations for children. References British Columbia Ministry of Health. HealthLink BC: Thoracentesis. Cope DG. Malignant effusions. Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice.

Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett; pp. Lechtzin N. Beers, M. Merck Manual Professional Edition. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. University Health Network. Preparing for your Thoracentesis: Information for Patients.