PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Karl Jackson
AU  - Avinash Aujayeb
TI  - What is the incidence of pleural effusions in acute pulmonary emboli?
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.1869
DP  - 2020 Sep 07
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1869
VI  - 56
IP  - suppl 64
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/1869.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/1869.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2020 Sep 07; 56
AB  - Introduction: Pleural effusions commonly occur in conjunction with acute pulmonary emboli (PE). There are no guidelines on the investigation and management of these effusions. We aimed to review local management.Method: We reviewed all CTPAs in one trust in the UK in 2019. Electronic notes, imaging and discharge letters of patients with PE were reviewed.Results: 1630 CTPAs were requested to investigate for PE. 316 (19.4%) were positive for PE. Of these, 86 (27.2%) were identified as having associated pleural effusions. Five (5.8%) patients had a contemporaneous pleural aspiration. All pleural effusions were exudative. Four were consistent with known malignant diagnoses. The other patient had concurrent pneumonia and pancreatitis.Conclusions: This project is the largest single centre review. Although pleural effusions commonly occur with PE, pleural aspiration is rarely performed. Management is not significantly altered by the presence of an effusion.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 1869.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).