4 ms·
Pleural effusion = fluid around, but not inside of, the lungs. It is treated using thoracentesis. Suction = for removing secretions inside of the larger airways
by unsrsly 7y ago
Pleural effusion = fluid around, but not inside of, the lungs. It is treated using thoracentesis.
Suction = for removing secretions inside of the larger airways.
Consolidation = fluid inside of the lungs, specifically within the alveoli. It prevents oxygen exchange and there is no specific procedure that can address it. Medical management focuses on tricks like proning that can increase ventilation to areas of lung that have less consolidation. If both lungs have consolidation in the majority of lung units, the patient cannot be saved even on a ventilator. In this case ECMO is a possibility, but ECMO resources are very limited and the lungs might not ever recover enough to start working again.
- didgeoridoo 7y agoBrain fart — meant pulmonary edema, not pleural effusion. P-E something, anyway.
- belltaco 7y agoThanks for the explanations. Isn't there a way to oxygenate blood outside of the body like dialysis? Why isn't that used more?
- bryan_w 7y agoI was wondering this too. It seems like the problem would be the rate of oxygenation of the blood is too high for any current machine to handle and something completely new need to be designed
- unsrsly 7y agoGreat question! You are referring to ECMO. The main limitations of ECMO come from the serious complications that can occur, which can include life-threatening bleeding, blood clots, infections, strokes, and brain damage. The number of hospitals in the US offering ECMO is in the low hundreds. It takes an experienced team to use it safely, and if used in the wrong patients, it can artificially prolong suffering rather than saving a life. However, it is still an amazing technology for some patients.