Does this patient have a pleural effusion?

Citation

(2009), "Does this patient have a pleural effusion?", Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Vol. 14 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/cgij.2009.24814cae.007

Does this patient have a pleural effusion?

Does this patient have a pleural effusion?

Article Type: Reviews of effectiveness From: Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Volume 14, Issue 3

C.L. Wong, J. Holroyd-Leduc and S.E. Straus,Journal of the American Medical Association,2009,No. 301,pp. 309-317

This review assessed the accuracy of physical examination in assessing the probability of a pleural effusion. The authors concluded that a dullness to percussion examination makes the probability of a pleural effusion much more likely, but that a chest radiograph should be obtained to confirm the diagnosis. There was considerable clinical variation between the few included studies, so the authors’ conclusions should be interpreted with caution.